St. Louis

Award of Merit

OWNER: SSM Health

LEAD DESIGN FIRM: Lawrence Group Architects

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Alberici Constructors Inc.

CIVIL ENGINEER: David Mason + Associates

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: KPFF Consulting Engineers

MEP ENGINEER: IMEG


The SSM St. Louis University Hospital Medical Campus renewal project is the first new hospital built in St. Louis in nearly 100 years. The hospital has 294 private patient rooms, 16 operating rooms, five cardiac interventional suites, eight endoscopy suites and seven imaging/special procedural suites. The ER is built to accommodate 55,000 visits annually.

All this was tasked to architect Lawrence Group Architects and contractor Alberici Constructors. To enhance safety, Alberici developed a prefabrication strategy highlighted by 297 patient bathrooms built in an offsite warehouse, transported to the site, lifted into the building and rolled into place. In addition, hundreds of 10-ft-wide by 16-ft-tall curtain wall modules were built off site and transported to the hospital as needed. 

The team worked to ensure budget compliance, which included saving $1.5 million in steel escalation costs through the early release of steel design.