UNC Health – North Carolina Surgical Hospital, Chapel Hill, North Carolina: 2025 Design Showcase Honorable Mention
UNC Health – North Carolina Surgical Hospital in Chapel Hill, N.C., opened on the UNC Medical Center campus in June 2024.
The 7-story building, situated directly in front of the N.C. Memorial Hospital, relocates UNC Surgical Hospital’s operating rooms (ORs), which were housed in older buildings on the medical campus, to two floors in the new building, with space to support large, multidisciplinary surgical teams and future growth.
Additionally, the new surgical hospital houses 80 intensive care beds, clinical offices, pre- and post-operative patient rooms, a sterile processing area, hybrid ORs, and a satellite pharmacy to serve both the community and attract skilled medical professionals.
A collaborative effort between owner UNC Health (Chapel Hill) and Page (Raleigh, N.C.), which submitted the project to the Design Showcase, the 380,000-square-foot project faced several design challenges.
The first was creating a surgical and ICU platform on a compact site. The solution was a thoughtfully proportioned building designed to reflect the scale and character of its surroundings through complementary materials, including metal panels, glass, and concrete.
Onstage/offstage planning and design
Another focus was maximizing space and accessibility for patients and staff. The project enhances operational efficiency through a Lean-validated onstage/offstage model that optimizes workflow by separating patient and staff circulation to limit disruptions and help improve patient sleep and recovery.
Additionally, sound-absorbing materials and acoustic treatments were incorporated into patient rooms and hallways to reduce ambient noise levels.
Healthcare campus safety measures
Enhancing safety on a busy medical campus was another challenge. The design team added a pedestrian bridge connecting existing parking garages to separate pedestrian access from busy vehicular areas.
Additionally, the design incorporated full-floor and unit-area lockdown capabilities for active shooter events, allowing staff to quickly secure sections of the hospital. To ensure safe egress for visitors from family waiting spaces, an additional exit stair was dedicated to holistically address life safety concerns without compromising security.
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Tracey Walker is managing editor of Healthcare Design and can be reached at [email protected].
