2025 Midwest Best Projects
Best Health Care: UW Health Eastpark Medical Center
UW Health Eastpark Medical Center
Madison, Wis.
BEST PROJECT
Submitted by IMEG
Owner: UW Health
Lead Design Firm, Structural Engineer: HKS
General Contractor: JP Cullen | Mortenson
Civil Engineer: Ruekert-Mielke
MEP: IMEG
Landscape Architect: Hitchcock Design Group
Opened in October 2024, this project is the largest U.S. medical construction project of the year. The 480,000-sq-ft facility is comprised of interconnected north and south towers plus a parking garage. It anchors University of Wisconsin Health’s eastern gateway and integrates oncology, women’s health and multispecialty clinics in a pioneering ambulatory care model.
The project used multiple prefabricated features that saved time and money. Most notably, 663 precast panels totaling over 28.5 million lb were manufactured for the parking structure, with a preprogrammed, automated CNC machine creating the framework. This enabled the creation of a higher-end product with an intricate and precise framework that seamlessly blends in with the campus’ complex architecture. The team also utilized a ballasted roofing system at select roof levels, which improved installation speed, reduced weather risk and generated cost savings that UW Health reinvested in green roof elements to elevate the patient experience.
Photo by Angie McMonigal Photography
The project faced a wide range of other challenges including integrating numerous and diverse specialty clinics to support collaboration and workflow between medical disciplines.
The project team used several physical mock-ups and simulations to design and implement a repeatable and scalable clinic module. This module design reduced the need for physical alterations and their associated costs. Another challenge was to maintain design quality while meeting the budget. The team established a clear target budget early in the design process, and decisions were made throughout the project to address market changes, inflation and supply chain volatility.
Photo by Angie McMonigal Photography
Midway through construction, the team was asked to integrate two major additions, a new proton therapy building and an MRI suite, which it solved by using a robust change-management process and ongoing pull planning sessions to incorporate these changes seamlessly.
Photo by Angie McMonigal Photography
Overall, the result is a campus designed to be the first health care facility in the U.S. to meet certification under LEED v4.
