Sensible solution: Express elevator

Lift at hospital

July 21, 2014 • Candace Wilson • Healthcare

The Via Christi Cancer Institute was designed across the majority of the seventh floor of a busy hospital. “We had to find the best way to separate ourselves and the construction mess from the rest of the facility,” explains Ryan Craft, project architect.

The solution, implemented in collaboration with the general contractor, was to build a temporary construction elevator and fasten it to the outside of the building. Seventh-floor windows were turned into doors to allow access to the new elevator. As a result of innovation and coordination of the project team, “All the construction mess and traffic went on outside,” says Craft. “We didn’t have workers bringing debris with them as they traveled to or from the site.”

The effort to complete the addition without interrupting operations throughout the rest of the hospital was invaluable says Craft. “Our solution allowed Via Christi to continue serving their patients, with normal access and unimpeded traffic flow between all floors of the hospital throughout the project to completion and occupancy.”