Mayo Clinic Arizona

This multifaceted expansion aimed to increase patient capacity and pave the way for future growth involving vertical and horizontal developments. It features a significant three-story, 224,960-square-foot vertical expansion to the clinic and additions to the fourth-floor mechanical penthouse, for which AEI provided engineering design services. The expansion also enhanced the transplant, neurosciences, pulmonary, and regenerative medicine departments and incorporated new floor plates capable of accommodating eight additional floors.

The expansion also featured horizontal growth at the hospital and east cafeteria buildings, expanding the kitchen and servery by 19,500 square feet, with provisions for future expansion integrated into the design. The relocation of the loading dock to the east was a crucial aspect of the project, creating space for a new basement and additional floors while improving truck movement efficiency and supporting compactor and linen services. The expansion grew various emergency departments, notably surgery, which received three new state-of-the-art operating rooms (OR) and allocated shell space for an additional three ORs in anticipation of future needs. To accommodate the additional ORs, the expansion also encompassed 20 new post-anesthesia care units (PACU).

Leveraging the Integrated Project Delivery method, the project team’s collaborative approach was crucial in overcoming the challenges of constructing an active hospital and ensuring its timely and cost-effective completion despite commencing amidst the pandemic.

AEI was responsible for the mechanical, electrical, and piping/plumbing (MEP) engineering design for the clinic's vertical expansion, encompassing the additions to the fourth through seventh floors. Notably, the substantial scale of the vertical growth mandated upgrades to numerous MEP systems to adhere to high-rise code requirements.

Providing sustainable design services, AEI's Building Performance Practice analyzed nearly one hundred façade modules to optimize cooling efficiency while maximizing the clinic’s natural daylight. In response to the clinic’s south-facing orientation, a folded façade optimized solar shading and cultivated an energy-efficient environment. Through close collaboration with the envelope trade partner, AEI significantly reduced module costs.

A primary design goal was to enhance panoramic views to the north by incorporating expansive glass sections in waiting areas, offering patients and visitors a seamless connection to the surrounding natural scenery. Thus, AEI assisted in glazing selection, conducting comprehensive comfort, daylighting, and energy efficiency analyses. AEI also explored multiple insulation, connection, and framing options to enhance wall insulation while reducing upfront construction costs by $130,000.

Given construction activities across multiple active patient care areas on the space-limited campus, the project team made continual efforts to mitigate vibrations, maintain sterile environments, and minimize disturbances. The project team adopted a unitized curtain wall skin system to address the clinic's vertical expansion challenges. This system enabled the prefabrication of large sections, streamlining installation, reducing patient care disruptions, and accelerating the construction timeline to expedite patient care delivery.

Mayo Clinic’s east expansion signals a new era of healthcare excellence, poised to meet the burgeoning needs of the growing Phoenix population while maintaining its global reputation as the top-ranked, safest hospital. This expansion enhances patient care, access, and capacity and catalyzes innovation across practice, research, and education programs.

Moreover, this ambitious endeavor generated nearly 2,000 new job opportunities, including recruiting almost 200 additional physicians by 2029, reinforcing Mayo Clinic's commitment to advancing healthcare and economic growth in the region.

Recognizing its pioneering project execution, cohesive team dynamics, and innovative design, the Mayo Clinic Arizona East Expansion won the 2023 ENR National Best of the Best Healthcare Project award.