This $68 million, six-story tower project includes a heart center, intensive care unit, a medical/surgical bed unit, and a new main entrance. The ground level of the new tower houses the new Heart Center program with its own separate entrance that is immediately accessible from patient and visitor parking. The Heart Center includes expanded cardiac catheterization services, respiratory therapy, and cardiopulmonary diagnostic and therapy areas.

Project category: New construction & Remodel/Renovation (completed October 2004)

Chief administrator: Roger Neifert, Director Facilities Management, (800) 726-9762

Firm: NTDSTICHLER Architecture, (858) 565-4440

Design team: Ron Stichler, AIA, Principal; Wayne Hunter, Architect (NTDSTICHLER Architecture); Jeff Clarkson, Project Director (McCarthy); Steve O’Brien, PE, Mechanical Engineer (Bridges & Paxton Consulting Engineers); Jack Koehler, PE, SE, Structural Engineer (Paul-Koehler Consulting Structural Engineers)

Photography: © Paul Berkner

Total building area (sq. ft.): 212,000 (new); 27,000 (renovation)

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $174 (new); $174 (renovation)

Total construction cost (excluding land): $36,888,000 (new); $4,698,000 (renovation)

The new, state-of-the-art, 42-bed Intensive Care Unit is located on the first floor adjacent to the new main lobby. The design of the intensive care rooms includes ceiling-mounted articulating booms that hold and energize all patient monitoring and documentation equipment, medical gases, and supplies. This innovation eliminates the traditional headwall, providing maximum flexibility and 360-degree access to the patient.

A 36-bed Medical/Surgical unit is located on the second floor. Each is a single private room with plenty of space to accommodate families of all sizes. Floors three, four, and five are shelled floors that will eventually be built out to mirror the second floor.

All of the new and renovated areas are supplemented with expanded support services including Laboratory, Chapel, Pharmacy, Sterile Equipment Processing, Information Services, Central Plant, and loading dock areas. In all, the expansion includes 239,000 square feet.