Nelson Byrd Woltz Begins Construction on Restorative Eagle Courtyard at Walter Reed Medical Center

Construction has begun on the redesigned Eagle Courtyard at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, a project led by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (NBW). The design transforms a neglected concrete courtyard into a restorative landscape for patients, families, visitors, and hospital staff. The project, which broke ground this year, was sparked six years ago by a visitor’s encounter with a single wildflower.

The story of the courtyard’s revival began with Catheryn Penzler, who was at the hospital for a family member’s medical appointment. In a statement, Penzler recalled spotting a stray Black-eyed Susan growing in the otherwise barren, concrete space. “The beauty of that simple flower helped me in that moment, and it made me realize that the courtyard could be so much more,” she said. Penzler brought the idea of revitalizing the space to the Garden Club of Chevy Chase (GCCC), which took on the project as its primary fundraising organization.

Key facts

A design focused on restoration and accessibility

Eagle Courtyard is the primary outdoor space at Walter Reed, situated between the hospital’s inpatient buildings. The existing space was described as largely forgotten, with empty planting beds and hard surfaces that offered little respite. The new design, developed with input from therapeutic garden expert Dr. Naomi Sachs, prioritizes clear sightlines to help visitors maintain orientation and openness. Semi-private seating areas are planned for families to gather and for medical staff to hold private conversations with patients and loved ones.

Accessibility is a central concern. The plan includes wheelchair-accommodating paths and accessible furniture throughout the courtyard. A dedicated children’s area and separate outdoor spaces for staff are intended to make the courtyard a shared resource for the entire hospital community.

Thomas Woltz, Senior Principal and Owner of NBW, described the project’s intent in a statement: “Landscape has an extraordinary capacity to change how we experience difficult moments in our lives. At Walter Reed, we wanted to create a landscape that could offer beauty, comfort, and restoration to people facing some of life’s most challenging circumstances.”

Planting and ecological strategy

The landscape plan calls for more than 2,000 perennials and 3,600 bulbs, along with new trees and shrubs. The planting design is intended to create a lush, seasonally changing environment. Pollinator gardens are planned for sunny areas, while woodland plantings will fill shaded zones. The variety of plant material is meant to engage visitors with the rhythms of the natural world throughout the year.

Woltz added: “The most meaningful landscapes often work quietly. They give us space to feel what we need to feel. They help us reconnect with the rhythms of the natural world and, sometimes, simply remind us that life continues. At Walter Reed, that is the profound opportunity of this garden.”

Community and institutional support

The Garden Club of Chevy Chase served as the project’s primary fundraising organization, securing financial support and significant in-kind contributions of labor, professional services, and materials from local businesses and project partners. Long-term stewardship was built into the plan: GCCC has committed to providing 10 years of plant maintenance, and the Walter Reed Society is donating maintenance services for five of those years.

For landscape architects and healthcare design professionals, the Eagle Courtyard project offers a case study in how therapeutic landscapes can be integrated into large medical facilities. The collaboration between a community organization, a design firm, and a federal medical center also highlights the potential for public-private partnerships in healthcare landscape projects. The project’s emphasis on accessibility, ecological diversity, and long-term maintenance planning may serve as a reference for similar initiatives.

Source: The Architect’s Newspaper, https://www.archpaper.com/2026/10/nelson-byrd-woltzs-redesigned-courtyard/