Construction starts on US$4bn California hospital expansion

Render of the expansion work scheduled for the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California, US. (Image: McCarthy/SmithGroup)

The scheme will add a 14-storey, 230-ft (70m) medical facility and five-storey pavilion across 910,000 sq ft (84,541m2) to the existing UC Davis Health Surgery and Emergency Services Pavilion. Once complete, the facility will include more than 300 private patient rooms.

Chee Keong Lin, vice president and health studio leader at Michigan-based design firm SmithGroup, which worked on the project, said the tower “synthesises innovative medical planning, state-of-the-art building technologies and thoughtful patient and staff-centred design to meet the healthcare needs of the future.” 

McCarthy noted the design also calls for two helicopter landing decks and complex procedure rooms.

The Missouri-based contracting firm said the project is on track for LEED Gold certification, and the building’s design includes energy-efficient systems, indoor environmental quality enhancements, water use reduction, and rainwater management strategies.

The project is scheduled for completion in 2030.