The driving design factors for this project were flexibility and acuity adaptability. The existing 8th floor layout had served an underutilized use and the hospital identified this space as an opportunity to provide additional bed capacity and swing space for the building as a whole, with the future goals of opening up other units throughout the hospital for departmental refresh, finish upgrades and renovations.

The new floor layout provides a double-loaded corridor design with 18 acuity adaptable patient rooms that will first function as a MICU, before transitioning to other uses in the future. The design incorporates one isolation patient room, with an ante room as well as a separate patient room for patients of size. All rooms are equipped with ceiling mounted lifts. Some additional features of the patient room include prefabricated headwalls and nurse server units, motorized integral blind window units for the nurse perch areas and electric switchable privacy glass for the entry doors.

Staff support spaces and public common spaces feature gracious views of downtown, Mt. Washington and the Monongahela river valley. The common spaces also include Encellium lighting and sound masking technology for patient comfort. Acoustics were a key concern for the unit and all partition and ceiling assemblies were designed accordingly. The scope of the project also included a renovation of an administrative and classroom space on the 9th floor and the addition of a new air handler, which is nearly twice as efficient as the previous unit, and serves multiple other spaces throughout the hospital.

IN THE NEWS

Healthcare Design Magazine: UPMC Unveils Eight Floor Renovation

Healthcare Facilities Today: Case Study: Renovation Helps Hospital React to Pandemic

Size:

19,900 SF

Completion:

2020