UDC School of Health and Clinical Science

The University of the District of Columbia School of Health and Clinical Science is located in the Fort Totten neighborhood of Northeast Washington D.C., directly behind the UDC Bertie Backus Campus. It houses a school of nursing, health education, nutrition sciences, public health, counseling services, a prevention science research center, and emergency care clinic.

The clinic is the flagship design of a plug-and-play layout designed to easily fit in existing structures serving at-need communities. As the main care provider for at-need residents, the clinic utilizes technology wherever possible. Physicians are able to use telehealth rooms, reaching community members too sick to come to a communal location. Drones relay prescriptions and laboratory samples between patients, the pharmacy and lab.

The building is fully inspired by the community. It takes its shape from the Civil War era fort that was once the centerpiece of the neighborhood, and the modern lines of the quickly revitalizing South Dakota Avenue skyline.

The sustainably designed building uses mass timber throughout, reducing the amount of carbon heavy concrete and steel. The basic “L” shape, with the eastern leg protruding south provides shade for much of the day, while ample sun shades reduce the heat from the sun during the afternoon.

Glazing dominates the structure to allow for as much natural lighting as possible, while being blue tinted to reduce direct sun glare. The green roof is multipurpose, providing for outdoor class space and an area to relax and study, while growing fruit and vegetables for those in need.