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Ingalls Family Care Center
Award of Merit: Health Care
Chicago's south suburbs have been experiencing rapid growth,
and the need for additional health care facilities is apparent.
Harvey-based Ingalls Memorial Hospital chose to expand its
presence with a Family Care Center in Flossmoor. The project
is reportedly the largest ever in the village.
Located on Governors Highway between Kedzie and Vollmer roads,
the 80,000-sq.-ft. facility is situated on a 14-acre lot.
About 1,000 trees and seven homes were cleared for the project.
The ground needed to be elevated 3 ft. prior to construction,
and a detention pond was dug 15 ft. in front of the future
site providing excess soil to build up the hospital foundation.
Has Radius Curtain Wall
A radius curtain wall is a unique element of the facility.
The fritted, glass-and-steel curtain wall bends on a 358-ft.
radius and provides enhanced natural lighting to improve patients'
well-being and mental health.
During layout, a radius point was established across the street
from the site by
using engineering equipment. The crew established the exact
parameters and location of the system by using a theodolite
scope to position every piece of the curtain wall.
Nursing stations are located centrally to promote the safety
of patients and help reduce the waiting time for nurses.
The building has Web-based portals for physicians. Building
features include a 24-hour Urgent Aid Center, Sleep and Neurodiagnostic
Center, Imaging Center and Retail Pharmacy.
Once construction was under way, the primary obstacle was building
in a lot adjacent to a steep hill dug out for a detention pond.
Stone was brought to the site to help level the ground. Temporary
roads were continuously erected and disassembled to allow access
to cranes and concrete pumping trucks, and the paths were installed
around the retention pond to avoid a severe slope.
Jury Comments: "It's a higher level of design. The crews
overcame some tough issues."
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