{"id":19951,"date":"2026-01-29T21:00:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T02:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tilt-up.org\/tilt-uptoday\/?p=19951"},"modified":"2026-01-29T21:02:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T02:02:12","slug":"curved-geometry-and-vertical-scale-in-healthcare-tilt-up-construction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tilt-up.org\/tilt-uptoday\/2026\/01\/29\/curved-geometry-and-vertical-scale-in-healthcare-tilt-up-construction\/","title":{"rendered":"Curved Geometry and Vertical Scale in a Multi-Story Healthcare Facility"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Centura St. Francis Hospital \u2013 Interquest project in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a 140,000-square-foot, four-story hospital developed to support a rapidly growing regional population. Recognized through the Tilt-Up Achievement Awards program, the project serves as a case study in the application of tilt-up concrete construction to a complex healthcare facility that combines curved geometry, multi-story organization, and demanding programmatic requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tilt-up construction was selected to support schedule efficiency and cost control while accommodating a full-service hospital program that includes emergency care, surgery, inpatient services, and critical care units. The building departs from conventional rectilinear hospital forms, instead organizing significant portions of the structure along a curved plan that required careful coordination between architectural intent, structural design, and erection sequencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curved panel geometry and foundation conditions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The structure incorporated 86 tilt-up wall panels totaling approximately 64,000 square feet of wall area. Many of the panels were arranged in a half-circle configuration, establishing a continuous curved elevation that defines the facility\u2019s architectural character. Achieving this geometry required precise control of panel dimensions, alignment, and erection tolerances to maintain continuity across the curved fa\u00e7ade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panel support conditions varied across the building footprint. Approximately half of the panels were erected on continuous foundations, while the remaining panels were supported by a basement retaining wall. This condition required coordinated detailing and sequencing to ensure consistent performance across differing foundation systems while maintaining the intended curvature of the exterior envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tall vertical elements and multi-story organization<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The project included elevator core panels extending to 94 feet 6 inches in height, representing the tallest tilt-up panels constructed in Colorado at the time and ranking among the tallest nationally. These panels supported the building\u2019s four-story configuration and consolidated vertical circulation within the tilt-up structural system. Five-story elevator core panels further demonstrated tilt-up\u2019s capacity to accommodate significant vertical scale within a healthcare application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than increasing complexity through excessive segmentation, the use of tall panels reduced the overall number of elements required to achieve the building enclosure. Panel design incorporated multiple pick-up points to manage lifting forces and support controlled placement consistent with established large-panel tilt-up practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Construction execution and architectural expression<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Construction progressed under variable weather conditions typical of the Colorado Springs region, including cold temperatures, wind, and snow. Tilt-up construction supported efficient sequencing and rapid enclosure, helping maintain progress while accommodating seasonal conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Architecturally, the panels featured a flat painted finish with reveals used to articulate the fa\u00e7ade and reinforce the building\u2019s curved form. Insulation was post-applied on the interior, supporting healthcare performance requirements while maintaining flexibility during casting and erection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Broader relevance and community impact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The completed facility includes 72 inpatient beds, 10 intensive care unit beds, 10 specialty-sized operating rooms, and a 14-bed emergency department. Imaging services include computed tomography and ultrasound, supporting a full range of acute care functions. At full operation, the hospital is expected to support approximately 300 jobs, expanding access to medical services in the greater Colorado Springs area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From an industry perspective, the project demonstrates how tilt-up concrete construction can be applied to healthcare facilities that require curved geometry, multi-story organization, and substantial vertical elements. The project contributes to the broader understanding of tilt-up as a scalable construction system capable of addressing architectural and programmatic demands typically associated with institutional buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project Credits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Concrete Contractor: Suntec Concrete
Photographer: Small Giants<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article was generated based on content submitted during the Tilt-Up Achievement Awards program.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This four-story hospital in Colorado Springs demonstrates the use of tilt-up concrete within a curved, multi-story healthcare program. The project illustrates how tall panels and variable foundation conditions can be addressed through coordinated panel design and erection strategies.<\/div>\n

Read more…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":19954,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[366,371,478],"tags":[516,514,503,520,518,519,515,517],"class_list":{"0":"post-19951","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-architecture-design","8":"category-award-winners","9":"category-cost-schedule-risk","10":"tag-curved-panel-geometry","11":"tag-healthcare-construction","12":"tag-institutional-buildings","13":"tag-large-format-panels","14":"tag-multi-story-tilt-up","15":"tag-panel-erection-sequencing","16":"tag-tall-tilt-up-panels","17":"tag-vertical-circulation"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tilt-up.org\/tilt-uptoday\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tilt-up.org\/tilt-uptoday\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tilt-up.org\/tilt-uptoday\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tilt-up.org\/tilt-uptoday\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tilt-up.org\/tilt-uptoday\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19951"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tilt-up.org\/tilt-uptoday\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19958,"href":"https:\/\/tilt-up.org\/tilt-uptoday\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19951\/revisions\/19958"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tilt-up.org\/tilt-uptoday\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tilt-up.org\/tilt-uptoday\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tilt-up.org\/tilt-uptoday\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tilt-up.org\/tilt-uptoday\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}