UNC Health Care’s Surgical Tower set to begin construction

Set to become the largest building on UNC Hospitals Chapel Hill campus, the new 335,000-sf Surgical Tower will enhance UNC Health Care’s ability to provide surgical and medical care for Carolina residents.

The seven-story tower will feature 24 operating rooms, two hybrid operating rooms, 56 pre- and post-operating rooms, and two floors of ICU space with 56 beds. The building will also include a basement level, a main reception and visitor waiting areas on each floor, offices and conference rooms, an indoor and outdoor staff lounge, and staff locker rooms.

Surgical Tower aerial

Patient drop-off canopies at the Surgical Tower and the existing Children’s Hospital will also be built. Two overhead pedestrian bridges will connect existing parking decks and the Dental School building to the Surgical Tower. Finally, the project will include a three-story service connector, renovation work at the existing Ambulatory Patient Care Facility, and the expansion of the cafe in the existing part of the hospital.

Surgical Tower canopy

The project, which is being built by Skanska, will be constructed in three phases. Phase one will include site development work and the new connector basement construction, phase two will focus on deep foundation construction, and phase three will focus on the main Surgical Tower building work.

Surgical Tower East Facade

Phase one’s site development will include extensive utility relocations, an upgraded storm and sanitary system, new chilled water and steam for the tower and adjacent buildings, and new electrical duct bank from a future generator plant.

The project is slated for completion in 2022.

Surgical Tower entry

Surgical Tower west facade

For most of human history, design has mostly considered “typical users” who are fully able-bodied without clinical or emotional disabilities. The problem with this approach is that it offers a limited perspective on how space can positively or negatively influence someone based on their physical, mental, and sensory abilities.

In Duluth, Minn., the new St. Mary’s Medical Center, designed by EwingCole, is now the largest healthcare facility in the region Photo courtesy EwingCole

Healthcare Facilities | Dec 19, 2023

A new hospital in Duluth, Minn., is now the region’s largest healthcare facility

In Duluth, Minn., the new St. Mary’s Medical Center, designed by EwingCole, is now the largest healthcare facility in the region. The hospital consolidates Essentia Health’s healthcare services under one roof. At about 1 million sf spanning two city blocks, St. Mary’s overlooks Lake Superior, providing views on almost every floor of the world’s largest freshwater lake.

Healthcare Facilities | Dec 7, 2023

New $650 million Baptist Health Care complex opens in Pensacola

Baptist Health Care’s new $650 million healthcare complex opened recently in Pensacola, Fla. Featuring a 10-story, 268-bed hospital, the project “represents the single-largest investment in the healthcare history of northwest Florida,” said Gresham Smith project executive Robert “Skip” Yauger, AIA, LEED AP. The 602,000 sf Baptist Hospital is equipped with a Level II trauma center that provides 61 exam rooms and three triage areas.

Engineers | Nov 27, 2023

Kimley-Horn eliminates the guesswork of electric vehicle charger site selection

Private businesses and governments can now choose their new electric vehicle (EV) charger locations with data-driven precision. Kimley-Horn, the national engineering, planning, and design consulting firm, today launched TREDLite EV, a cloud-based tool that helps organizations develop and optimize their EV charger deployment strategies based on the organization’s unique priorities.

UChicago Medicine first freestanding cancer center TOWER FINAL Rendering courtesy CannonDesign

Healthcare Facilities | Nov 3, 2023

The University of Chicago Medicine is building its city’s first freestanding cancer center with inpatient and outpatient services

The University of Chicago Medicine (UChicago Medicine) is building Chicago’s first freestanding cancer center with inpatient and outpatient services. Aiming to bridge longstanding health disparities on Chicago’s South Side, the $815 million project will consolidate care and about 200 team members currently spread across at least five buildings. The new facility, which broke ground in September, is expected to open to patients in spring 2027.

The Evolution of Medical Facility Security

As the healthcare system grows, securing these facilities becomes ever more challenging. Increasingly, medical providers have multiple facilities within their networks, making traditional keying systems and credentialing impractical.