Orange County Medical Center Selects Design-Build Team

By HCO Staff

IRVINE, Calif.—The University of California, Irvine, has awarded the UCI Medical Center Irvine project to the Hensel Phelps + CO Architects design-build team. Adjacent to the UCI academic campus, the new medical facilities will be a short walk or bike ride for researchers, students, and staff.

The new medical center embraces sustainable design and construction, incorporating recycled water in the central plant and for irrigation, green power, and the preservation of the San Joaquin Marsh Reserve. The marsh will provide unparalleled views to comfort patients and families while providing relaxing spaces for doctors, researchers, and staff.

The new medical center embraces UCI’s commitment to sustainable design and construction, incorporating recycled water in the central plant and for irrigation, green power, and the preservation of the San Joaquin Marsh Reserve. The marsh will provide unparalleled views to comfort patients and families while providing relaxing spaces for doctors, researchers, and staff.

The new sophisticated campus will include a 144-bed, 350,000-square-foot hospital, including an emergency department, inpatient bed services, operating rooms, pre/post observation beds, inpatient imaging, and support services. It will also have a 200,000-square-foot ambulatory surgery center consisting of outpatient surgery and procedure rooms, diagnostic and imaging services, oncology treatment and infusion facilities, clinical exam rooms, a pharmacy, and support services. Additional features include a 35,000-square-foot central energy plant to serve the campus and a 1,340-space parking structure.

The site will feature multiple areas for gathering outdoors, including walkable pathways and numerous healing gardens, offering views to the campus and landscape features.

“The UCI Medical Center Irvine integrates multiple specialties and treatment programs with a commitment to creating a patient experience founded on improving healing through design in a unique environment located at the city’s edge, facing the San Joaquin nature reserve,” says Tom Chessum, FAIA, principal at CO Architects. “Our healthcare, interior design, laboratory planning, and health-sciences education architects are collaborating within the design and build team toward a unified project mission—to achieve UCI Health’s goals for discovery, teaching, and healing.”

The Hensel Phelps + CO Architects design-build team will design and construct the new project, anticipated to break ground in mid-2021. The parking structure will be complete in 2022, followed by the ambulatory surgery center and central energy plant in 2023. The hospital is expected to be completed in 2025.

“We’re committed to delivering the world-class UCI Medical Center Irvine as the southern Orange County community continues to grow,” said Damian Buessing, vice president and district manager at Hensel Phelps. “An important part of that commitment includes constructing this state-of-the-art hospital building efficiently and safely while maintaining the strong community relationships Hensel Phelps has in Orange County.”

The UCI Medical Center Irvine will contribute to the local economy by creating upward of 2,500 healthcare and construction jobs, attracting out-of-area healthcare professionals and patients to the region, and providing vendor and partnership opportunities for Orange County-based businesses.