A topping out ceremony was recently held for the $450-million care tower on the campus of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The milestone event signifies the completion of the structural framework of the 350,000-square-foot building.
Over the past 17 months, hundreds of construction workers, putting in more than 268,000 work hours, placed more than 2,200 tons of reinforcing steel into more than 19,200 cubic yards of concrete, which is equivalent to around 1,920 truckloads, to complete the structure of the building.
The care tower will include an upgraded emergency department, state-of-the-art operating rooms and enhanced adult intensive care units. In addition, larger and brighter rooms with more natural light and increased privacy, along with new outdoor green space, will help promote wellness and healing and reduce stress on patients, their families and staff.
The project is a significant investment in the Triad region as a result of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s strategic combination with Atrium Health.
The care tower project is expected to be fully completed in 2026 and the first phase of the building – the new and expanded adult emergency department – is scheduled to open in mid-2025.
The general contractor for the project is a joint venture between Brasfield & Gorrie and Blum Construction Co. and the architects are HKS and CPL. Hundreds of local construction and design workers, including women- and minority-owned businesses, are involved in the project.
Photo source: brasfieldgorrie.com
