Project Category – New Construction (complete December 2001)

Facility Contact – Antonio B. Ruiz, Associate Vice-President, (303) 372-9230

Firm – H+L Architecture/HDR, Inc., (303) 295-1792

Design Team – Rob Davidson, Principal; Douglas Wignall, Director (HDR, Inc.); Charles T. Graft, President (Gerald H. Phipps); Mike Krueger, Project Director (McCarthy)

Patient/Bed Capacity – N/A

Total Building Area (sq. ft.) – 476,000

Total Land Area (acres) – 217

Total Cost (excluding land) – $110,000,000


The construction of the Anschutz Outpatient Pavilion (AOP) was one of the first steps in the relocation of University of Colorado Hospital to the former Fitzsimons Army Campus. In under six months, the design/build team of H+L/HDR Architecture and Phipps/McCarthy (CM/GC) designed and began construction of the 476,000 SF, eight-story comprehensive AMBULATORY CARE CENTER. The project focus was centered around the ambulatory patient, providing outpatient services in one accessible location.

The new Pavilion provides a patient-centered delivery system of care, research and education for the future. It offers primary and specialty ambulatory care, outpatient surgery and recovery, complete diagnostic capabilities, and other patient-focused support services. Other amenities feature free close-in parking, a natural-lighted food court, pharmacy, gift shop, patient resource center and telecom/data connections in all waiting areas. The overall design provided an excellent solution to satisfy the hospital’s vision of an “environment which supports the ideal experience for faculty, physicians, employees, students and patients.”

A two-story lobby connects the AOP with the Anschutz Cancer Pavilion (ACP), establishing a highly visible front entry and transparent transition from primary parking to the south to the outdoor space to the north. An elevated, freestanding walkway allows a direct second story passage for patients and staff. All patient/public circulation and waiting areas in the building are along the window walls. This allows for easy wayfinding, makes the space feel less confining and offers patients and the public spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains. Physicians and staff elected to have space without views to ensure patients and other users were able to experience the magnificent surroundings.

The uniqueness of the building lies in the modular concept, which is flexible to accommodate future clinical or office activities and designed to accommodate expansion. Related medical clinics in the AOP were designed as practice cluster modules and are adjacent to one another in order to share staff, support services and treatment areas. This adjacency also allows for easy expansion of clinic space. A “front door/back door” concept was used to clearly separate the flow of materials, supplies and staff from the flow of patients.

To develop this design, which would be flexible but also meet the needs of each hospital client, the team set up highly detailed models, complete with cardboard furniture and equipment on the walls to determine the best fit. During construction, mock-ups of repetitive, highly technical rooms were created, and hundreds of staff members came through to review and comment on the design prior to final installation. Changes were made during the mock-up stage, keeping the project on target and on schedule-a very aggressive fast track schedule of 24 months for total design and build.

The AOP and ACP are the first buildings of the University of Colorado Hospital and Health Sciences Center master plan to develop a new 217-acre campus located on the former Fitzsimons Army Campus. The AOP’s use of building form and materials as well as a design centered on patient-focused care will set a standard for future campus development.