September 8, 2000

The MGH planning committee for the new ambulatory care building project recently announced the selection of local firm Cambridge Seven Associates, Inc., in collaboration with Michael Fieldman of New York to form a team of architects for the new building project.

The team will develop plans for the two phases of the ambulatory care building project and a parking facility using part of the Charles Street Jail site. The first phase will involve erecting a structure over the Northeast Proton Therapy Center, and the second phase will include demolishing the VBK and Clinics buildings and constructing a new building in their place. The new building project will add 400,000 square feet of much-needed space to the hospital's ambulatory services.

Right: The architect team's rendering of the new ambulatory building.

According to John Messervy, of Partners Real Estate and Planning, who is leading the project, the team of architects was selected after a six-month search that included 23 architectural firms from across the country. "We are very excited about the selection of this team," says Messervy. "The selection committee was well represented by physicians, senior management and board members in making the final decision. This team has many exciting ideas and plans to help make the MGH more accessible and patient-friendly, while creating much-needed additional space."

Cambridge Seven Associates is an internationally recognized firm with more than 35 years of experience designing projects for universities, museums, private corporations and local, state and federal agencies. Some of their clients include the New England Aquarium, New England Sports Museum, the MBTA, Logan International Airport and the Harvard Business School. Michael Fieldman has worked with several hospitals, including Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and Staten Island University Hospital.

Michael Fieldman has worked closely with the MGH in the past designing the ground floor reconstruction project and the Eat Street Café renovation. For the next phase of the ambulatory care building project, the architects, along with the planning committee, will work with specific groups within the hospital to identify needs and develop plans.