The new Mercy Hospital Joplin in Missouri was designed to withstand winds of up to 250 mph.
The $465 million structure replaces St. John's Regional Medical Center that was destroyed in a 2011 tornado that devastated the city. The new 900,000 sf facility is scheduled to open 46 months after the storm struck.
The new hospital features a window and frame system that can protect patients from winds of up to 250 mph. The structure was built with a concrete roof and a precast concrete outer shell.
Engineers and architects with McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. and HKS Architects studied the storm’s aftermath and applied lessons drawn from that analysis in the new building.
Other buildings own by Mercy have also been shored up to withstand high winds. Strengthened windows have been added to other Mercy buildings including an orthopedic hospital in Springfield, Missouri, and a rehabilitation hospital in Oklahoma City.
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 18, 2021
The Weekly show, Feb 18, 2021: What patients want from healthcare facilities, and Post-COVID retail trends
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from JLL and Landini Associates about what patients want from healthcare facilities, based on JLL's recent survey of 4,015 patients, and making online sales work for a retail sector recovery.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 5, 2021
Healthcare design in a post-COVID world
COVID-19’s spread exposed cracks in the healthcare sector, but also opportunities in this sector for AEC firms.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 3, 2021
$545 million patient pavilion at Vassar Brothers Medical Center completes
CallisonRTKL designed the project.
Modular Building | Jan 26, 2021
Offsite manufacturing startup iBUILT positions itself to reduce commercial developers’ risks
iBUILT plans to double its production capacity this year, and usher in more technology and automation to the delivery process.
Healthcare Facilities | Jan 16, 2021
New patient pavilion is Poughkeepsie, N.Y.’s largest construction project to date
The pavilion includes a 66-room Emergency Department.
Healthcare Facilities | Jan 9, 2021
As mental healthcare is destigmatized, demand for treatment centers is rising
NBBJ is among the firms tapping into this trend.
Giants 400 | Dec 16, 2020
Download a PDF of all 2020 Giants 400 Rankings
This 70-page PDF features AEC firm rankings across 51 building sectors, disciplines, and specialty services.
Healthcare Facilities | Dec 10, 2020
The Weekly show: The future of medical office buildings, and virtual internship programs
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors spoke with leaders from SMRT Architects and Engineers and Stantec about the future of medical office buildings, and virtual internship programs
Healthcare Facilities | Dec 4, 2020
What hospitals can learn from research labs
5 infection control principles used in high-containment facilities.
Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020
2020 Science & Technology Facilities Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the S+T sector
HDR, Jacobs, and Turner head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest science and technology (S+T) facilities sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.