Industry News

Hendrick Medical Center will break ground in late fall of 2008 on an $80 million expansion of its healthcare campus in Abilene, Texas. Dubbed “Project 2010”, the project will include a four-story patient tower with surgical and birthing suites and a separate physician office building. The new Hendrick Children's Hospital, featuring visual themes from the Berenstain Bears, will house larger patient rooms, pediatric ICU, and chemotherapy. Project 2010 will consist of 200,000-sf of new construction and 38,000-sf of renovation. Completion is slated for fall of 2010.

Loyola University’s Richard J. Klarchek Information Commons was designed to achieve a 50 percent reduction in energy usage as compared to buildings utilizing conventional HVAC systems. The building became functional in mid-January 2008 and has quickly proven itself to be a green success. Energy usage data collected so far indicates that the LEED Silver building is saving more than the projected 50 percent. Hill Mechanical Group of Franklin Park, Ill., installed the HVAC system for the four-story, 70,000-sf facility.

St. John Health opened the $220 million Providence Park Hospital in Novi, Mich., in August of 2008. The seven-story facility is sited on 64 acres and can accommodate 400 patients. Construction began on the project in 2005. Featuring flexible patient rooms, the 500,000-sf facility was designed by NBBJ and houses a six-story atrium for maximum daylighting.

Shionogi & Co. will begin construction on a new ¥14 billion pharmaceutical research facility on its existing campus in Toyonaka City, Osaka, in fall of 2008. Serving as the center of research operations, the 43,000-sm facility will house world class laboratories and testing equipment in a six-story earthquake resistant facility. Construction is expected to reach completion in spring of 2010 with operations commencing in summer of 2010.

The State of California is implementing an $8 billion hospital construction program at state prisons. The joint venture program management team is comprised of URS Corp. and Bovis Lend Lease. Featuring integrated project delivery principles and lean construction methodology, the project includes construction of seven California prison hospitals by 2014.