Design Guide Index 

NOTICE: A major update and revision of the VA Design Guides is currently underway. Update will be incremental; completed Guides will be posted on this site and noted as current. As much information in these Guides is dated, it is recommended that they be used with moderate caution to assure that current standards of the health care industry are addressed in meeting VA's needs. A planning/design consultant may be helpful in confirming the validity of project specific data.

Design Guides are intended to help speed the design process, control cost, avoid errors and omissions, and get value for dollars spent. Design guides are developed in partnership with the using service and are benchmarked with similar private sector guides. They are to be applied flexibly, not as rigid standards.

If you have questions about, or have difficulty accessing the content of the PDF files, please e-mail Facilities Standards Service at til@va.gov, or contact Gary M. Fischer, Architect at 202-632-4898.

Ambulatory Care (Hospital Based) 

• Concurrence  
• Section 0 - Cover, Table of Contents 
• Section 1 - Foreword, Acknowledgments, Introduction, Abbreviations, Legend of Symbols 
• Section 2 - Narrative 
• Section 3 - Functional Diagrams 
• Section 4 - Design Guide Plates, Design Standards, Equipment List 
• Section 5 - Appendix 

Cardiovascular Laboratories 

Community Living Center 

Digestive Diseases - Endoscopy Service

Electroencephalography Laboratory

Eye Clinic 

• Section 1 - Introduction, Acknowledgments, Abbreviations, Legend of Symbols 
• Section 2 - Narrative 
• Section 3 - Functional Diagrams 
• Section 4 - Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 

Inpatient Nursing Units

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) 

• Section 1 - Foreword & Acknowledgments 
• Section 2 - Narrative 
• Section 3 - Functional Diagram 
• Section 4 - Guide Plates (Typical Order) 

Mental Health

• Concurrence  
• Mental Health Design Guide 

Nuclear Medicine 

• Section 1 - Foreword & Acknowledgments 
• Section 2 - Narrative 
• Section 3 - Functional Diagram 
• Section 4 - Guide Plates (Typical Order) 

Office of Information & Technology 

Outpatient Clinic, Lease Based

• Lease Based Outpatient Clinic - SFO Template (2009 version)  
• Lease Based Outpatient Clinic  (2005 version)
  • Attachment A 
  • Attachment B 
  • Attachment C 

Outpatient Clinic (SOC/CBOC) 

• Concurrence  
• Section 0 - Cover, Table of Contents 
• Section 1 - Foreword, Acknowledgments, Introduction, Abbreviations, Legend of Symbols 
• Section 2 - Narrative 
• Section 3 - Functional Diagrams 
• Section 4 - Design Guide Plates, Design Standards, Equipment List 
• Section 5 - Appendix 

Outpatient Pharmacy 

• Section 0 - Foreword, Acknowledgments, Abbreviations, Legend of Symbols 
• Section 1 - Narrative 
• Section 2 - Functional Diagrams 
• Section 3 - Outpatient Pharmacy: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 
• Section 4 - Pharmacy Specialized Programs: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 

Pharmacy Service 

• Section 1 - Introduction, Acknowledgments, Abbreviations, Legend of Symbols 
• Section 2 - Narrative 
• Section 3 - Functional Diagrams 
• Section 4 - Inpatient Pharmacy: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 
• Section 5 - Outpatient Pharmacy: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 
• Section 6 - Pharmacy Specialized Programs: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 

Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center (PRC) 

• Section 1 - Cover, Preface, Narrative 
• Section 2 - Technical Criteria 
• Section 3 - Planning and Design Data 
• Section 4 - Polytrauma Overall Schematic 

Pulmonary Medicine Service 

Radiation Therapy 

• Section 1 - Foreword & Acknowledgments 
• Section 2 - Narrative 
• Section 3 - Functional Diagram 
• Section 4 - Guide Plates (Typical Order) 

Radiology 

• Section 1 - Foreword & Acknowledgments 
• Section 2 - Narrative 
• Section 3 - Functional Diagram 
• Section 4 - Guide Plates (Typical Order) 

Research Laboratory 

• Section 1 - Introduction, Acknowledgments, Abbreviations, Legend of Symbols 
• Section 2 - Narrative 
• Section 3 - Relationship and Generic Layout Diagrams 
• Section 4 - Laboratories: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 
• Section 5 - Specialized Areas: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 
• Section 6 - Laboratory Support: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 

Spinal Cord Injury/Disorders Center 

• Section 0 - Cover, Preface, Table of Contents, Acknowledgments, Foreword, Introductions, Glossary, Abbreviations 
• Section 1 - Narrative 
• Section 2 - Technical Criteria 
• Section 3 - Guide Plates 
• Section 4 - Spinal Cord Injury/Disorders Center Long Term Care 
• Section 5 - Appendix 

Supply, Processing & Distribution (SPD)

• Concurrence  
• Cover, Table of Contents, Section 1 - Foreword & Acknowledgements, Section 2 - Narrative, Section 3 - Functional Diagrams  
• Section 4 - Guide Plates first half  
• Section 4 - Guide Plates second half, Section 5 - Appendix  

Surgical Service 

• Surgical Service Design Guide Cover  (43MB)
• Surgical Service Design Guide (w/o cover) 

Tuberculosis (TB) 

• Section 1 - Foreword, Acknowledgments, Abbreviations, Legend of Symbols 
• Section 2 - Narrative 
• Section 3 - Patient Care Areas: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 
• Section 4 - Enclosures 

Veterinary Medical Unit 

• Section 1 - Introduction, Credits, Abbreviations, Legend of Symbols 
• Section 2 - Narrative 
• Section 3 - Relational Diagrams 
• Section 4 - General Rooms: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 
• Section 5, Plate 5-1 through 5-5 - Areas Specific to VMU's: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 
• Section 5, Plate 5-6 through 5-11 - Areas Specific to VMU's: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 
• Section 5, Plate 5-12 through 5-16 - Areas Specific to VMU's: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 
• Section 6 - Operating Suite and Radiographic Suite: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 
• Section 7 - Containment Suites: Design Guide Plates, Design Standards 

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