Building for the Future of Colorado Springs
CommonSpirit St. Francis Hospital – Interquest | Colorado Springs, Colorado
Completed as GE Johnson Construction Company
CommonSpirit St. Francis Hospital – Interquest is an orthopedic and spine hospital in rapidly growing northern Colorado Springs. Considered a “hospital of the future,” the facility features smart patient rooms, digital patient engagement, and stunning views of Pike’s Peak and the Rocky Mountain Front Range.
About
The Project
2023 ENR Mountain States Best Projects - Best Healthcare Project
This
140,000-square-foot greenfield hospital houses 72 beds and includes 10
intensive care unit (ICU) beds, 10 specialty-sized operating rooms, a 14-bed
emergency department, imaging with computed tomography, and ultrasound. A
rehabilitation sports field sits atop the parking garage and will be used by
patients to assist in rehab in an outdoor setting.
- Level One consists of a 14-bed emergency department, imaging department with CT, radiography, MRI and ultrasound, a two-story public lobby with coffee shop area, restaurant, and a unique chapel that accommodates both large services and individualized reflection.
- Level Two has a 24-bed inpatient expansion unit with 16 Med/Surg rooms and 8 critical care unit (CCU) rooms and building support spaces. The sterile processing department, hospital administration, materials management, pharmacy, lab, biomedical engineering and plant operations also operate on this level.
- Level Three features 32-bed inpatient unit and 16-bed CCU rooms. Critical care capability is expandable to up to 24 rooms. This level also houses the physical therapy suite.
- Level Four provides 10 specialty-sized operating rooms with robotic capability, 30 prep/recovery bays, staff areas, and surgical support.
Hospital
Of the Future
Through partnerships with Get Well Network and Centrak, the hospital features smart patient rooms and digital patient engagement. Patients are provided digital access to view their care teams, adjust room conditions, order food, and access entertainment and support services.
Ingenuity
In Action
Tilt-Up Concrete Wall Panels
This is one of the first hospitals in the region to be constructed with tilt-up concrete wall panels. This type of construction reduces the construction schedule and allows the client to occupy faster. The building consists of 89 panels which were erected in 37 days.
The elevator core panels in the middle are about 94 feet, 7 inches, making them the third tallest in the country and the tallest in Colorado. The heaviest panels on the building weigh in at 226,000 pounds. Due to the height of the tilt-up panels and the bracing requirements, the erection of the structure followed the typical construction sequence from L1 to the Roof, while the interior buildout was reversed from Roof to L1 due to internal bracing removal requirements with the tilt-up walls.
Prefabrication with no Straight Hallways
The building is a half-moon shape radius design that required significant prefabrication efforts. There are no straight hallways, so the project team developed solutions to prefabricate mechanical, electrical, and plumbing racks of this shape. The headwalls in each patient room were prefabricated to ensure quality and improve efficiencies. The hospital also elected to purchase a fully integrated, modular, prefabricated operating room ceiling that the team installed.
Meeting Long Lead Constraints
A large challenge that the team faced was the procurement of mechanical equipment, specifically the roof-top units. With the effects of COVID-19, a manpower issue was created when materials were delayed up to nine months. As a result, the team anticipated a three-week delay to the project. By leveraging LEAN building practices and through immense communication and coordination with trade partners, the project team was able to meet the original project schedule date.
Ingenuity
In Action
Tilt-Up Concrete Wall Panels
This is one of the first hospitals in the region to be constructed with tilt-up concrete wall panels. This type of construction reduces the construction schedule and allows the client to occupy faster. The building consists of 89 panels which were erected in 37 days.
The elevator core panels in the middle are about 94 feet, 7 inches, making them the third tallest in the country and the tallest in Colorado. The heaviest panels on the building weigh in at 226,000 pounds. Due to the height of the tilt-up panels and the bracing requirements, the erection of the structure followed the typical construction sequence from L1 to the Roof, while the interior buildout was reversed from Roof to L1 due to internal bracing removal requirements with the tilt-up walls.
Prefabrication with no Straight Hallways
The building is a half-moon shape radius design that required significant prefabrication efforts. There are no straight hallways, so the project team developed solutions to prefabricate mechanical, electrical, and plumbing racks of this shape. The headwalls in each patient room were prefabricated to ensure quality and improve efficiencies. The hospital also elected to purchase a fully integrated, modular, prefabricated operating room ceiling that the team installed.
Meeting Long Lead Constraints
A large challenge that the team faced was the procurement of mechanical equipment, specifically the roof-top units. With the effects of COVID-19, a manpower issue was created when materials were delayed up to nine months. As a result, the team anticipated a three-week delay to the project. By leveraging LEAN building practices and through immense communication and coordination with trade partners, the project team was able to meet the original project schedule date.
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