HDR-Designed Patient Pavilion Opens at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

A ribbon cutting on Friday, April 14, 2023, marked the much-anticipated opening of the new five-story Patient Pavilion at Dartmouth Health’s Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Design elements respect the culture of the Upper Valley and New England while bringing DHMC’s academic commitment into the clinical environment.

The 212,000-square-foot building first broke ground at New Hampshire’s only academic medical center in July 2020 and the new facility boasts:

• 64 state-of-the-art, single-occupancy, adaptable inpatient rooms with appropriate clearance, power and medical gases to convert to critical care without renovation
• New medical specialty and heart and vascular units
• New nursing education center

“We spent significant time with Dartmouth Health to understand the vision and purpose of the new patient pavilion and designed the building through an integrated design process inclusive of landscape, architecture, planning and interiors to create one cohesive story and language,” said HDR Health Principal Jessica Stebbins, IIDA. “DHMC is a nationally recognized academic medical center and is extremely committed to the integration of clinical care, education and research. When you approach the building, the design reflects DHMC’s commitment to excellence in these three core areas.”

The integrated design includes tools to reduce strain and increase workplace safety for both staff and patients. Thoughtful and specific spaces have been added to remove barriers to providing the best care, including modern co-working spaces and nursing hubs located among the patient rooms, technology advancements to improve patient experience, and access to more natural light and respite rooms that ensure dedicated space is available for staff to recharge.

The pavilion is a complete utility plant — with two levels of emergency generators, specialized electric service, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, as well as high-quality water and air-filtering systems. Two unfinished floors allow for space to grow as complex medical care increases with Northern New England’s aging population.

About HDR 
For over a century, HDR has partnered with clients to shape communities and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Our expertise spans more than 11,000 employees in more than 200 locations around the world — and counting. Our engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services bring an impressive breadth of knowledge to every project. Our optimistic approach to finding innovative solutions defined our past and drives our future.