Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Collaborative vision for children’s wellness
Project Facts
| Location | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Owner | Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare |
| Size | 610,000 SF |
| Status | Completed 2010 |
| Certifications | LEED Silver |
Overview
From fundraising to the construction phase, the development of the new Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital building exemplified a comprehensive community collaboration. Designed by leading pediatric care planners, this inviting and dynamic facility welcomes children and their families, fostering an uplifting environment that empowers kids to aspire to great dreams and lead vibrant, healthy lives, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Services
About the project
The expansion of the LeBonheur Children’s Hospital raises the level of pediatric care in the mid-South region. Now the largest children’s hospital in Tennessee, it includes a Pediatric Emergency Department, PICU, NICU, CICU, diagnostic and treatment areas, perioperative services, ambulatory clinics, a 3T intraoperative MRI (iMRI), and support functions.
Designed for the strict requirements of the New Madrid seismic zone, Walter P Moore created a cast-in-place concrete system for the diagnostics and treatment podium and patient bed tower. The hybrid foundation system consisted of auger cast piles under the tower and rammed aggregate piers under the base, saving over $1 million in foundation costs. Walter P Moore worked closely with the client to strategically locate shear walls that would work best with the current functionality while providing the most flexibility in the long term. Through a rigorous analysis of the structural frame and the associated seismic resisting system, seismic expansion joints (up to 12” wide in some cases) were eliminated from the project.
