VergesRome Architects | New Orleans Architectural Firm

Tulane Medical Center

Tulane Medical Center (TMC), the teaching hospital for Tulane University, sustained heavy wind, water intrusion and flood damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, resulting in extended loss of environmental controls and complete destruction of the entire first floor of the facility – a shutdown that created a critical gap in the area’s healthcare infrastructure.

First priority was a speedy rehabilitation and rebuild of the Primary Care Clinic that enabled TMC to provide medical treatment and care for emergency personnel and first responders working on disaster recovery. VRA, in association with Houston-based PageSoutherlandPage (PSP), facilitated emergency repairs, remediation and mitigation necessary to restore the complex to full operation and lessen damage from future storm events.

A Damage Assessment Report defined a scope of work and assessed damage and current status of all architectural, mechanical, and electrical systems in approximately 483,000SF of interior space. The first floor, approximately 90,000SF, was redesigned to include new foodservice areas; public and faculty dining areas; outpatient services; re-designed Central Sterile, Pharmacy, Morgue and Central Supply components; Lobby; Lounge; and commercial-use areas. VRA/ PSP also designed and engineered the complete dry flood-proofing of the Central Plant, over 10,000SF in area, protecting from flooding up to six feet in depth.