Construction on UNC Health’s North Carolina Surgical Hospital, the largest addition to the Chapel Hill campus since it was built in 1952, was recently completed. The seven-story, 375,000-sf structure houses 26 operating rooms, four of which are hybrid size to accommodate additional equipment and technology for newly developed procedures. The addition also includes 59 pre- and post-operating rooms along with two floors of ICU space with 80 beds.
After considerable planning, the Surgical Tower was placed directly in front of the NC Memorial Hospital. This location provides patients and families easy access to surgical services and creates a more modern façade. The new tower is replacing aging facilities with larger and more efficient operating suites, as surgeries have grown more complex and require larger teams.
The building has a main reception area as well as visitor waiting areas on each floor, an indoor and outdoor staff lounge, employee locker rooms, offices, and conference rooms. Patient drop-off canopies now protect the entrances of both the surgical hospital and the children’s hospital next door from the elements. Two new overhead pedestrian bridges connect the existing campus parking decks to the UNC Adams School of Dentistry building and the new hospital. The Terrace Café, a new two-story building, provides much-needed respite for visitors and staff, and is located inside the existing courtyard space of Memorial Hospital. The project included renovations in the ambulatory patient care facility and a refreshed butterfly garden.
Prior to construction, site development work included extensive utility relocations, an upgraded storm and sanitary system, a new chilled water and steam system for the new hospital and adjacent buildings, and a new electrical duct bank from the hospital’s generator plant.
To expedite project delivery, multiple bid phases were employed including early site, early foundations, pedestrian bridge packages, and building packages.
Owner and/or developer: UNC HEALTH
Design architect: Page
Architect of record: Page
MEP engineer: Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI)
Structural engineer: Stewart
General contractor/construction manager: Skanska USA Building
Related Stories
| Mar 19, 2014
How to develop a healthcare capital project using a 'true north charter'
Because healthcare projects take years to implement, developing a true north charter is essential for keeping the entire team on track and moving in the right direction.
| Mar 18, 2014
6 keys to better healthcare design
Healthcare facility planning and design experts cite six factors that Building Teams need to keep in mind on their next healthcare project.
| Mar 18, 2014
How your AEC firm can win more healthcare projects
Cutthroat competition and the vagaries of the Affordable Healthcare Act are making capital planning a more daunting task than ever. Our experts provide inside advice on how AEC firms can secure more work from hospital systems.
| Mar 13, 2014
Do you really 'always turn right'?
The first visitor center we designed was the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center for the Everglades National Park in 1993. I remember it well for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the ongoing dialogue we had with our retail consultant. He insisted that the gift shop be located on the right as one exited the visitor center because people “always turn right.”
| Mar 12, 2014
14 new ideas for doors and door hardware
From a high-tech classroom lockdown system to an impact-resistant wide-stile door line, BD+C editors present a collection of door and door hardware innovations.
| Feb 21, 2014
Naturally ventilated hospital planned in Singapore
The Ng Teng Fong General Hospital will take advantage of the region's prevailing breezes to cool the spaces.
| Feb 18, 2014
Study: 90% of healthcare providers say Affordable Care Act is 'step forward,' but major revisions needed
Providers are excited about opportunities to address long-term health issues in the U.S., but worries about the transition persist, according to a new study by Mortenson Construction.
| Feb 17, 2014
Lawmakers may take away control of Florida hospital project from the VA
The project is $100 million over budget and has missed its scheduled completion date.
| Feb 14, 2014
Crowdsourced Placemaking: How people will help shape architecture
The rise of mobile devices and social media, coupled with the use of advanced survey tools and interactive mapping apps, has created a powerful conduit through which Building Teams can capture real-time data on the public. For the first time, the masses can have a real say in how the built environment around them is formed—that is, if Building Teams are willing to listen.
| Feb 13, 2014
3 keys to designing freestanding emergency departments
Having physically disassociated from a central hospital, FEDs must overcome the particular challenges associated with a satellite location, namely a lack of awareness, appeal, and credibility. Gresham, Smith & Partners' Kristin Herman-Druc offers three keys to success.
