Greater Lansing Replacement Hospital Wraps Build

By HCO Staff

LANSING, Mich. – Gresham Smith recently announced that construction is complete on McLaren Greater Lansing, the first facility on McLaren Health Care’s new campus in Lansing. Designed in partnership with national architecture/engineering firm, HED, the nine-story, 517,000-square-foot replacement hospital represents the largest one-time investment in McLaren Health Care history, replacing two existing hospital facilities with one state-of-the-art facility that advances patient care, comfort and convenience.

Designed to meet the needs of residents in Michigan’s capital city, and adjacent to Michigan State University, the new facility includes a Level III Trauma Center/Emergency Department, Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute, comprehensive cardiac programs, interventional platform with 20 operating rooms and medical/surgical unit. Intuitive wayfinding, as well as smart planning, help to clearly guide patients, visitors and others to the multitude of services offered.

“From our progressive approach of creating positive user experiences with access to natural light, inspiring environments, and intuitive wayfinding to creating state-of-the-art hybrid operating rooms, this greenfield hospital with set a new standard of highly advanced care in Michigan’s capital city,” said Healthcare Vice President Steve Stokes, AIA, CLGB, NCARB. “The Gresham Smith Team is proud of the collaborative work accomplished with our partners at McLaren Health Care.”

With a focus on human experience and patient safety, the hospital’s 240 private patient rooms feature personal temperature controls, expanded in-room entertainment options and large windows with views of the outdoors. A public cafeteria and community hub offers convenience for family members, staff and visitors, while a training center, simulation labs that support medical education, an expanded lounge and sleep rooms, elevate the staff experience. The design team enhanced operational efficiencies by limiting the travel distance between the emergency department and imaging services. McLaren Greater Lansing was designed and planned to have the ability to change course to respond to future situations that may occur with an adaptable and flexible platform of care.

“It is rare you find a collection of firms and individuals all committed and balanced to support the client’s goals and then deliver them,” said HED Healthcare Sector Leader David Jaeger, AIA, LEED AP, EDAC. “HED as architect and engineer of record and in partnership with Gresham Smith and as an entity working in a design-build contract have delivered value to McLaren not typically possible with standard contracting methods.  Many state-of-the-art technical systems were balanced with a budget and schedule that required constant care by all.”

The hospital was completed on-time and under budget, despite workforce and supply challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a factory fabricated ceiling rack system and exterior panels, the construction of the hospital’s enclosure met an aggressive schedule and required fewer contractors to be on site at one time. This also allowed direct connection with the project’s mechanical engineers and the sub-contractors who were brought in early on to discuss the placement of the buildings’ main systems.

“By combining the national expertise of Gresham Smith and HED with the talent of companies in Lansing and throughout Michigan, we assembled a unique team to design and build a healthcare campus that will care for our community for generations to come,” said Daniel Medrano, vice president of Facility Management for McLaren Health Care.

Gresham Smith is also designing and planning the adjacent 60,400 square-foot Medical Services Building on the McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital campus and the cancer center and proton therapy center expansion at McLaren Health Care’s hospital in Flint, Michigan.