Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Delivering new and renovated hospital spaces for advanced, accessible care.

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Location

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

Client

Atrium Health

Architect

HKS and CPL

Project Value

$426 Million

Project Status

Completed 2025

The Freischlag Tower at Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is not just about expanding space; it's about transforming healthcare delivery.

WSP in the U.S. provided professional engineering services for this crucial project, which encompasses the new 400,000-square-foot patient care tower and renovations to 140,000 square feet of the existing facility. The upgrades are making significant strides toward elevated patient care and hospital operations. By modernizing facilities and expanding critical departments, the hospital aims to provide high-quality care to a growing patient population.

Further, improvements to the Central Energy Plant (CEP) enhance power and resilience, ensuring reliable operations even during emergencies.

Meaningful renovations

The new patient care tower and renovated facilities will significantly bolster the hospital's capacity to meet the community's healthcare needs. For instance, the expanded emergency medicine, radiology, surgical and intensive care departments will enable the hospital to handle more patients and provide specialized care. The eight-story building, designed for future vertical expansion, ensures that the hospital can adapt to increasing patient volumes and evolving healthcare demands and with the hospital's long-term goals.

Why does this matter? According to the American Hospital Association, hospitals with modernized facilities report a 15% increase in patient satisfaction and a 10% improvement in operational efficiency. These improvements are not just numbers; they translate to better patient outcomes and a more resilient healthcare system.

Square Feet - New

400,000

Square Feet - Renovated

140,000

Strategic scheduling

Executing such a large-scale project is not without challenges, especially when it comes to keeping the existing hospital spaces operational. The phased opening of critical facilities, such as the operating rooms and intensive care unit floors, required meticulous planning to ensure minimal disruption. The CEP upgrades, including generator enhancements, were crucial for maintaining power and redundancy while preparing the campus for the new care tower.

The Freischlag Tower opened in summer of 2025. Ongoing renovations are expected to be completed next year, delivered in three main packages with multiple phases. This phased approach demonstrates a commitment to careful project management and execution, ensuring that each stage is completed effectively.

Inspired collaboration

High levels of coordination and communication, facilitated by construction administration and focused breakout clusters, ensured the project's smooth progress. The team followed a modified Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) structure, fostering trust and cohesion. Monthly big room meetings and Target Value Delivery helped keep the project within budget and on schedule. This collaborative approach, utilizing Design Assist and IPD philosophies, underscores the transformative impact the project will have on the hospital's capabilities. WSP's scope of work included mechanical, plumbing, fire protection and electrical engineering design, beginning with process improvement and continuing through construction phase services.

The new patient tower and ongoing renovations at Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center are strategic investments in the future of healthcare in the region. By expanding and modernizing its facilities, the hospital is poised to better serve the community, offering advanced medical treatments and a more comfortable patient experience.