During design, the team considered multiple envelope enhancements and system options to determine the best balance of construction cost, operational costs, ongoing maintenance and energy efficiency. In addition to keeping the project within budget, these efforts yielded an energy reduction of 26% across the entire facility.

Photo courtesy Wade Griffith

Since the building sits in the historic Near Southside district, there were specific guidelines for signage, minimum facade fenestration percentages and roof slope. The site also had a street running through it that had to be closed before certain portions of work could begin, which called for strategic documentation, permitting and sequencing.

The facility’s medical-grade equipment came from more than 30 vendors across the country, so early coordination was vital. This also ensured that advanced A/V systems and simulation mannequins that speak, sweat, bleed and give birth had the right supportive infrastructure and installation. Supporting all that equipment on the third floor is a 12-in. concrete slab with 5-ft-deep supporting beams on the west end that tie into a post-tensioned system on the east end. More than 4 million lb of concrete was installed on the third floor alone. A monumental stair within the main forum consists of 105 precast terrazzo stair treads, each weighing 200 lb. Each tread was set by hand and field modified to ensure seamless connections.

The LEED Gold building features WaterSense fixtures to decrease water use by 40%. Crews achieved a 68% decrease in construction waste produced on site and successfully diverted 97% of waste produced from landfills.