Under an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), NIKA provided complete architectural and engineering services for the renovation of the Laurel Clark Memorial Auditorium at the Walter Reed National Navy Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. NIKA was selected for this project based largely upon our depth of experience in education, government, and medical facilities, all of which were represented in this project.

This extensive renovation project was designed to enable the current auditorium to also function as a concert hall, performance space, lecture hall, and web broadcast/television studio. NIKA’s design included a comprehensive gut and remodel of the space, resulting in an artful integration of function, acoustics, and contemporary architectural craft. By performing extensive acoustic analysis and application of cutting edge audio/visual design principles, the fully-integrated design combined aesthetics with technological advancements. The team developed multiple options and the selected option was developed through construction documents.

While the project has not yet been constructed due to delays in funding, the resulting design reflects a careful integration of architecture, environmental systems, acoustics, lighting, and audio-visual systems. As part of the team’s conceptual development, it was critical that the NIKA team coordinated both design and cost throughout the process to provide a best value solution for the design, while meeting the aesthetic requirements of this flagship military hospital campus that serves the President of the United States and our nation’s warriors.