Omaha, Neb.-based HDR Inc. served as the architect, while Centennial, Colo.-based Haselden Construction LLC served as the general contractor. J.R. Butler Inc., based in Denver, was the glazing contractor that worked with glazing systems manufacturer Wausau Window and Wall Systems from Wausau, Wis. — both of which were heavily involved in the design-assist process.

The new tower more than doubles the size of the previous emergency department, which now takes up 56,000 square feet on the first floor. Neurology, cardiology, oncology, acute and critical care are on individual floors. A new rooftop landing pad and dedicated trauma elevators are also available for patients to be transported by helicopter.

The tower’s design features a high-performance, serpentine curtainwall with sun shades, which greatly help the building achieve energy efficiencies required to earn LEED Gold certification.

“Wausau Window and Wall Systems’ 7250i-UW unitized curtainwall system is factory-glazed for long-term weather resistance and speed of installation. The thermally broken frames, along with high-performance, low-e, insulating glass, provide enhanced energy performance and condensation resistance,” said Lisa May, LEED Green Associate, health care market manager for Wausau Window and Wall Systems. “The high visible light transmittance vision glass connects the occupants to the outside, providing views and exploiting natural daylight. Wausau’s ClearStory exterior sun shades make an aesthetic statement and reject solar heat gain.”

Construction on the project began in early 2011 to serve an immediate need for additional patient space. Since 2007, ambulances had been regularly diverted to other medical facilities due to lack of room.

The project team used several techniques to speed up the construction process. For instance, they used finite element thermal modeling to analyze the thermal performance of certain frame-glass combinations, which helped the team select the appropriate glass makeup for the design. They also saved time by creating the curtainwall shop drawings and the construction documents at the same time.

“To overcome the timeline, the curtainwall subcontractor was brought on board during the design phase,” May said. “During the design phase, the team discussed constructability issues, provided design-assist services, evaluated value engineering options and maintained the curtainwall budget as the design progressed.”

SuperWall was installed on the ground floor while unitized curtainwall was modified as a ribbon window system for the third floor. Created within the curtainwall design, the sun shades use a double bracket that can be attached prior to installation, which also helps save time in the field.

Because of efficient collaboration, J.R. Butler completed the curtainwall five weeks early, and construction on the building took only 22 months.

Undergoing a four-phase development that started in 2000, the UCH campus will eventually include more than 750 beds and consist of approximately 2 million square feet with a construction value of about $400 million. When completed, the campus’ master plan will have a construction value of more than $2 billion.

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