$203 Million HOK-Designed Expansion Begins at University Hospital for University of Missouri Health Care in Columbia, Mo.

300,000SF Project to Add Patient Tower & Replace Ellis Fischel Cancer Center

COLUMBIA, MO. — Construction is underway on a major expansion of University Hospital for University of Missouri Health Care (MU Health Care) in Columbia, Mo.  Designed by HOK, the $203 million project will create a 300,000-square-foot addition with a patient care tower, 90 private rooms and areplacement facility for Ellis Fischel Cancer Center.  The eight-story addition will be completed in late 2012 and is part of Phase I of MU Health Care’s 2006 Master Facility Plan.
Located at 1 Hospital Drive, University Hospital is a 307-bed, tertiary-care center that provides a full range of medical and surgical services. The Frank L. Mitchell Jr., M.D., Trauma Center is the only Level 1 trauma center in Mid-Missouri and the only Level 1 trauma facility in the state that cares for children and adults.

The addition, located on the north side of the existing hospital, will ultimately host 12 operating rooms and 90 private patient rooms.  The new Ellis Fischel Center will replace an outpatient facility at 115 Business Loop 70 W. The 100,000-square-foot facility will cover two floors and host two linear accelerators, two magnetic resonance imaging rooms, two CT scanners and one PET/CT.

The expansion will create more efficient space to improve the delivery of healthcare with a life- affirming focus on patients and their families. Daylight and views oriented to the exterior are primary features of each floor. An outdoor healing garden and courtyard will center the facility on the main entry level and provide a respite area for patients.  In addition, way-finding is greatly enhanced by orienting public elevators and many waiting spaces to the garden.

Designed for flexibility and growth at all levels, the massing of the building complements its campus. The predominantly glass patient tower adds a fresh and lighter element to the campus, while matching brick integrates the new and existing facilities.  Native Missouri stone distinctly identifies the Ellis Fischel Center, reinforcing its brand name and honoring its history.

Hospital operations will benefit from a design that fosters an interdisciplinary approach to patient care and medical education.  It provides collaborative spaces, improves the quality of care and enhances patient and staff safety.   While large and complex, the design facilitates patient and family way-finding through reorganization of the patient intake areas and carefully placed signage. 

Green Features
MU Health Care is seeking LEED certification for the addition, which will reuse stonework from a demolished building on campus.  Other green elements include:
•         Low VOC-emitting finish materials
•         High efficiency glass
•         10,000 SF of green roofs
•         Rain screen exterior wall system, and
•         Plate and frame heat exchangers.

JE Dunn Construction Co., Kansas City, Mo., is construction manager.

Other projects included in Phase I of the master facility plan include the recently opened Missouri Orthopedic Institute and the relocation of Children’s Hospital to the former Columbia Regional Hospital. Columbia Regional Hospital has been partially renovated to become the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

HOK is a global architectural firm that specializes in planning, design and delivery solutions for buildings and communities. Through its collaborative network of 23 offices worldwide, the firm serves diverse clients within the corporate, commercial, public and institutional markets. HOK is committed to developing resources and expertise to help lead the world toward sustainable communities and building environments. Founded in 1955, the firm’s expertise includes architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, lighting, graphics, facilities planning and assessment and construction services.