Phoenix-based contractor Kitchell completed construction of The Sonntag Academic Pavilion at Barrow Neurological Institute. Located at the St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, the facility is part of nearly $150 million worth of work performed by Kitchell at the hospital, including construction of the 438,000 sq-ft Barrow Patient Care Tower, renovation of a children’s rehab unit and modifications to house high-tech medical scanning equipment.

Photo by Kevin Korczyk

The pavilion is named for neurosurgeon Volker K.H Sonntag, MD, former director of Barrow's neurosurgery program.

Designed by Phoenix-based Orcutt I Winslow architects, the 3,000-sq-ft Pavilion—named for a well-known neurosurgeon at Barrow—will open in April as part of the institute’s 50^th anniversary.

Built in seven months, the project required crews to stage in an active courtyard beside a busy pathway between two hospital entryways. Construction activity had to be coordinated around the vibration requirements of nearby sensitive imaging equipment and performed without obstructing patients and staff. Crews constructed a gradually sloping 40-ft by 20-ft tunnel to provide access and transport equipment, which required the use of a 90-ton boring machine. “Getting the drill rig into this very tight space in a highly active area with patients and hospital visitors already under significant stress was an enormous challenge,” says George Zakar, Kitchell project manager. “It was like fitting a large evergreen tree through a small culvert pipe.” Kitchell provided detailed plans in advance of the move, using models to demonstrate to the project stakeholders exactly what was required for the delicate maneuver.

“The team that came together to build the facility worked tirelessly to ensure the project was completed on time and under budget,” says Phil Pomeroy, vice president of Barrow Neurological Institute.