A New Model of Care for the Community

Following a national selection, KAI was selected as part of a three-member collaborative team to provide MEPFP Engineering for Indiana University’s Adult Academic Health Center (AAHC), a new 1.9 million SF hospital campus located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. The new $2 billion campus consolidates IU Health’s operations currently at two separate downtown locations, eliminating costly duplication of high-acuity services while providing the latest advancements in technology and patient-centered care. Three towers provide a full-service Adult Health Care Hospital providing inpatient and observation beds, full-service outpatient center, surgery, radiology, wound care, emergency department and cancer center. It also serves as Indiana University’s premier teaching hospital.

The first seven floors consist of hospital program space, with mechanical and pharmacy space on the sixth and seventh floors. Floors eight through 13 are three bed towers with approximately 32 rooms per floor per tower for a total of 576 patient rooms. Patient rooms are a mix of ICU and Med Surge rooms with several that are capable of being converted to either use. Two helicopter landing pads are located on the roof with direct access to the emergency department via express elevators. Roof mounted equipment is limited to small equipment such as exhaust fan, equipment vents and plumbing vents.

Take a tour of the 9th floor.

KAI’s scope of work included all aspects of the various MEPFP systems: building power, emergency power, mechanical and plumbing systems for the different areas, medical gas system, specialty exhaust, chilled water distribution, heating water distribution, steam distribution and kitchen exhaust systems. The project relied heavily on the use of BIM for coordination between all disciplines during design in order to provide a coordinated product that reduces changes orders, RFIs and conflicts in the field. This level of effort provides the client with a set of biddable documents for a competitive price. At the end of the project, IU Health will be provided with a fully updated BIM model that gives a 3-D perspective of the Hospital and a detailed understanding of how the hospital operates and where utilities are routed. The new health center is designed for efficiency and sustainability and is seeking LEED Silver certification.

Watch a flythrough of the Mechanical room. 

KAI’s on-site engineering presence at the project proves to be a major advantage for the client and the overall project team. By being physically present, KAI is able to quickly address direct questions, reduce delays caused by back-and-forth communication and help reach timely resolutions. This accessibility fostered open, frequent communication—an essential asset when working with a client who was still refining their vision. It also streamlined collaboration within a large, integrated team of three engineering firms and three architectural firms, helping to align goals, clarify design intent and keep the project moving forward efficiently.