Healthcare: Inpatient Acute Care

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center opened University Hospital in February of 2026 in Columbus. Designed by HDR, the $1.9 billion tower will drive high-impact discoveries that translate to improvements in patient care while providing outstanding clinical education to the next generation of healthcare professionals. The 1.9 million-sf development represents the largest single-facility construction project in the university’s history and offers 820 beds in private rooms equipped with sophisticated telehealth technologies.

UC Davis Health (UCDH) is constructing the 910,000-sf California Tower in Sacramento. Envisioned as a cornerstone for critical care in the region, the $3.7 billion complex will add a 14-story hospital and a five-story pavilion to the existing medical center. The resilient facility will provide approximately 334 private inpatient rooms, 250 of which can seamlessly transition to “pandemic mode” to offer additional infection isolation capabilities through negative air pressure.

ThedaCare opened a leading-edge health campus in January of 2025 in Oshkosh. Designed by HGA, the $84 million medical center will ensure seamless access to comprehensive care for patients in northeast and central Wisconsin. The 114,000-sf facility houses inpatient beds, a 24/7 emergency department, and an ambulatory surgery center. 

UCI Health opened the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital in December of 2025 in Irvine, Calif. Designed by CO Architects, the 350,000-sf facility offers specialties in cardiology, oncology, digestive health, neurology, orthopedics, and spine care. A garden-level ‘mega-floor’ spanning 56,000 sf unites 15 standard operating rooms, five interventional procedure rooms, four advanced multispecialty interventional suites, and 64 pre-op and recovery beds.

It’s no secret that many healthcare organizations are struggling to attract and keep enough staff to look after their patients. New space plans are offering solutions to the staffing challenge that increase healthcare worker satisfaction and success by making it easier for them to do their job. Not all staffing considerations are building-related, but there are many ways the building can work to help doctors, nurses, therapists, and aides do their jobs more effectively while maintaining their own physical and mental health. That balance is attractive to healthcare workers.

University of Michigan Health opened a $920 million clinical inpatient tower in November of 2025 in Ann Arbor. Designed by HOK and Integrated Design Solutions, the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion delivers high-level specialty care services for neurology, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, spine conditions, and cardiovascular medicine, as well as cardiac, vascular, and thoracic surgery.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and Cambridgeshire University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are planning to construct a £671 million ($910.4 million) children’s hospital in association with the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Designed by Hawkins\Brown and White Arkitekter, the 373,507-sf facility will offer 187 beds in total, with 108 for inpatient use, 16 dedicated to pediatric care, and 42 day-case beds.

UCHealth is expanding the Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont, Colo., to foster improved patient outcomes and ensure the provision of high-level care in response to growing need in the surrounding community. Designed by Page, the three-part project will add 89,000 sf to the hospital campus and 35 beds, as well as 30,000 sf of interior renovation on the first three stories. The most recent phase comprised two new operating rooms, nine pre- and post-anesthesia care unit bays, three labor and delivery rooms, a caesarean-section room, and a helipad.

The University of Utah and University of Utah Health broke ground in June of 2025 on a dynamic medical destination in West Valley. Designed by MHTN Architects and CannonDesign, the $855 million project includes the construction of Eccles Hospital and the Eccles Health Campus. The 800,000-sf complex will expand access to world-class care, create new employment opportunities, and drive economic growth throughout the region.

AdventHealth is launching a strategic expansion of its Orlando campus to address a growing demand for world-class care in Central Florida. Representing an investment of more than $1 billion, the project includes the construction of a 14-story, 595,000-sf tower housing 24 advanced operating rooms, 440 inpatient beds, and space for endoscopy and imaging procedures. A healing garden will feature sheltered seating areas and inspiring outdoor settings.

Hospitals and healthcare systems are stepping up to manage difficult choices. COVID funds have expired, staff are difficult to find and expensive to hire, and reimbursements aren’t keeping up with inflation. For those who are planning new and renovated healthcare spaces, the focus is on becoming more labor- and cost-efficient, benefiting from technology-driven ways of delivering healthcare while not losing the personal, human touch.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is constructing a $1.9 billion inpatient tower in Columbus. Designed by HDR, the 26-story building will integrate exceptional environments for patient care with leading-edge facilities for research, medical education, and training. The 1.9 million-sf development will provide 820 private rooms equipped with sophisticated telehealth technologies and entertainment systems, with ample space for visiting family members.

RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey opened the $1 billion Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center in May of 2025 in New Brunswick. Designed by HOK, the 520,000-sf building collocates world-class research environments with welcoming settings for clinical care to optimize patient outcomes.

Yale New Haven Hospital is constructing the Adams Neurosciences Center on its Saint Raphael Campus in New Haven. Integrating research, clinical care, and medical education, the $838 million facility was designed by Shepley Bulfinch to set a new benchmark for neurological care in Connecticut. The two-tower, 505,000-sf complex will feature translational research laboratories for the creation of new therapies for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and strokes.

University of Iowa Health Care opened the North Liberty campus in April of 2025 to improve patient access to world-class care and advance medical research and education. Designed by Neumann Monson Architects to offer a full range of musculoskeletal services, the 469,050-sf development accommodates the UI Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation and UI Sports Medicine. In one three-story wing, a 30,000-sf hospital provides 36 inpatient beds, 12 operating rooms, two procedure rooms, and an emergency department with a Level IV trauma center.