Martin Army Community Hospital Therapy Pool

Ft. Benning, GA

Fort Benning, a self-sustaining military community in Georgia, opened the new Martin Army Community Hospital in 2014. The $333 million hospital is an architectural icon that incorporates the latest technological advances in medical facilities and equipment and elevates the quality of life for soldiers, veterans, and their families.

The 745,000 sq. ft. facility features an 80-bed hospital tower and a three-story outpatient clinic, and a multi-story glass entry atrium with a striking angular roof. From the emergency room on the first floor to the intensive care unit on the sixth floor, the building has plenty of natural lighting, spacious rooms and areas for visiting families, including a rooftop garden and two large healing gardens.

Within the facility, is an 1,800 sq. ft. indoor therapy pool for those with hydro therapy health needs. This three lane, 25-yard pool has an ADA accessible sloped ramp entry with water depths between 3’ and 5’ deep to maximize the pools use for therapy. The water quality is maintained in pristine condition by utilizing an ultraviolet water sanitation system in addition to traditional chlorine and by using regenerative media filtration for the pool water.  By keeping the water temperature between 84 – 88 degrees this allows for a variety of therapeutic water therapy experiences.  Efficient pool equipment selection aligned with the sustainable goals to minimize water and utility useage.

Because the project is located on a greenfield site, special care was taken to preserve much of the site’s natural wooded beauty. Green roofs and bio-retention ponds feature prominently in the design and help to achieve LEED credits for sustainable sites, thus seeking Silver LEED certification from the United States Green Building Council.