Houston Methodist Hospital Paula & Joseph Walter III Tower
Seamless integration within existing structures allows for equipment changes without interruption
Project Facts
| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Owner | Houston Methodist |
| Size | 957,500 SF |
| Cost | $486 million |
| Status | Completed 2017 |
| Capacity | 378 new beds |
Overview
Houston’s Methodist Hospital established their first building in the Texas Medical Center in 1951 and continues to develop an array of facilities that provide highly-rated academic research and patient care. This new tower will maintain their competitive advantage and be able to incorporate future changes in medical equipment without operating disruptions.
Services
About the Project
As they planned a expansion, they envisioned a 235-bed tower that would connect seamlessly with three adjacent buildings and be constructed without disrupting ongoing operations. To maintain their competitive advantage, Methodist also wanted the new tower to be able to incorporate future changes in medical equipment, especially in the Cath labs.
Robust floor design was required to accommodate medical equipment in the Cath labs. Walter P Moore structured the Cath floor with a concrete topping slab over extruded polystyrene spacers, which will accommodate equipment changes without interrupting activities in the operating rooms directly below.
Seamless integration of the new tower called for two elevated connections to neighboring Dunn Tower. The first skybridge provides a direct path for physicians treating patients in both buildings. Since Dunn Tower lacked the structural capacity to support the skybridge, Walter P Moore’s diagnostics specialists strengthened the existing columns and beams by wrapping them in carbon fiber reinforced polymer.
Fully integrated into the hospital’s existing campus operations, Walter Tower undergirds their ability to serve a growing patient community for another seventy years. Walter P Moore combined expertise, creativity, and teamwork to make valuable contributions to the project and cemented our position as a trusted advisor to Methodist Hospital.
