The first building on the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s new 1.4-million-sq-ft Schuylkill Avenue campus, the 21-story Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, includes approximately 470,000 sq ft of research space and administrative offices.

The building’s geometry features different curvatures on every elevation. Extensive BIM modeling was used for the structure and curtain wall during preconstruction. BIM was also used for MEP coordination, which enabled substantial prefabrication of mechanical piping.

Sited along the Schuylkill River, the team built a promenade along the river and outdoor seating. The Schuylkill River Trail Bridge stretches from the building to a future extension of the trail.

Project teams worked near CSX railroad tracks to the west, a sloping approach to the South Street Bridge to the north and a residential area to the east. An existing cell tower was relocated as part of the project. An existing brick storm sewer, which passed under the tracks, was also reconstructed.

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