In 2001, our firm was honored to be selected as the architect of a new Research Radiology Center, for a prestigious academic medical center, in Manhattan. Completed in 2005, this project has pushed the boundaries of medical and construction technology, to create a medical research center of worldwide significance.

The clinical equipment used in this project is advanced. While the standard range for field strength of an MRI ranges from 0.6 tesla to 1.5 tesla, the Research Radiology Center was planned around two 3.0 tesla MRI’s and one 7.0 tesla MRI. The 7.0 tesla MRI, in particular, is a highly advanced piece of equipment, one of only a handful to be installed worldwide.

In addition to the three high-strength MRI’s, the center was planned around a 64-slice computed tomography (CT) Suite. Clinical support space includes a nursing station, dressing rooms and patient preparation rooms. Research support space includes mechanical shops and a state-of-the-art conference center. And administrative support space includes an office wing and staff lounge.

There were a tremendous number of factors which had to be taken into account, in order to guarantee the success of the center. A number of those factors are described below.

Of primary importance to this project --- and all projects involving medical practice --- is the flow of patients, visitors, and staff. Patient privacy and patient safety were carefully considered in the planning of the facility. In particular, recent guidelines on safe planning of MRI facilities were carefully studied and incorporated into the project. Separate circulation systems for patients, staff and visitors were established, in addition to separate entrances for staff, service, and the public.

An additional and significant factor in the planning of the center was the correct placement of the high-strength MRI’s and CT suite on the site. To begin with, each of the four major pieces of clinical equipment had to be placed in a manner which would avoid interference of magnetic and radio-frequency fields between individual pieces of equipment. Beyond these considerations, factors such as interference from moving vehicles on the exterior and mechanical building equipment on the interior, played an important role in the siting of the clinical equipment. The crucial nature of these siting factors was magnified by the field strength of the MRI’s, as well as the highly urban nature of the site.

A complex architectural/engineering infrastructure was created to support the exacting demands of the center and its equipment.

From the perspective of the equipment, the three-dimensional size requirements --- particularly the 7.0 tesla MRI --- were substantial. All three MRI’s impacted the floor below; the 7.0 tesla MRI required a two-story space, and each of the two 3.0 tesla MRI's, required structural support on the underside of the floor slab.

Structural support was an important factor for the MRI’s themselves, but it was even more important for support of the magnetic shielding. In the case of the 7.0 tesla, to address the extraordinary field strength of the MRI, a customized, unusual steel shield was designed, in some cases up to 12" thick, with an overall weight of close to 400 tons. The design, construction, and installation of a shield this enormous was essentially a mini-project within the overall project.

Additional considerations were vibration and acoustics. In terms of both vibration and acoustics, the design essentially aimed to isolate the clinical equipment. In the case of vibration, the goal was to meet the strict criteria of vibration provided by the equipment manufacturer, to assure proper functioning of the equipment. In the case of acoustics, the goal was to minimize the noise of the equipment within the MRI rooms themselves, as well as beyond the MRI’s into the surrounding rooms.

Of course, mechanical/electrical design is an important part of any health care or laboratory project, and this was especially true for the Research Radiology Center. Intensive and robust HVAC systems were required to service the multiple demands of the general space, clinical equipment rooms, and electronic equipment rooms serving the clinical equipment. On the electrical side, large power loads, along with complex distribution and grounding requirements, presented unusual challenges.

Led by our architectural firm, the design team included mechanical/electrical engineers, structural engineers, vibration consultants, acoustical consultants, and data/telephone consultants. A complex and challenging project, the Research Radiology Center offers hope of new medical discoveries, and this is a mission that we were proud to be a part of.

By: William N. Bernstein, AIA

William N. Bernstein, AIA is principal of two firms in NYC: an architecture and interior design firm --- Architecture for Radiology, LLP (www.arch4rad.com) specializing exclusively in radiology facility design and construction --- and a project management firm --- Empire Projects, Inc. (www.EmpireProjects.com) specializing in professional management of the design and construction process. He is a Yale University-trained architect with more than 25 years experience in the design and construction of radiology facilities in the U.S., Canada and Caribbean. Mr. Bernstein is a member of the American Institute of Architects, and can be contacted at 212-463-8200 or at wb@bernarch.com.