The Summerville Medical Center Vertical Expansion in Summerville, South Carolina, is a transformative project that added two new floors and built out an existing third floor atop an active hospital, delivering over 64,000 square feet of new and renovated space. The project was designed to increase capacity and enhance healthcare services for the growing community, including the addition of 30 private surgical beds, 14 private Intensive Care Unit beds, and 12 private Progressive Care Unit beds. This expansion increased the hospital’s licensed bed count by 40 percent, allowing the facility to privatize all inpatient units and significantly improve patient comfort, privacy, and infection control.
One of the most significant challenges was integrating new construction with ongoing hospital operations, requiring meticulous planning, creative problem-solving, and seamless coordination with the client and trade contractors. The project served as a test case for the client’s broader adoption of prefabricated modules in healthcare construction. Robins & Morton, in partnership with the client and module vendor BLOX, implemented prefabricated bathroom pods, headwalls, and exterior panels. The team leveraged Doxel, an AI-assisted project progress technology, to track and analyze construction conditions in real time. This innovative approach enabled the team to refine installation processes, improve efficiency, and minimize disruptions to patient care.
Robins & Morton’s leadership was instrumental in the project’s success, fostering a collaborative, data-driven environment that prioritized the client’s needs and the well-being of the community. By embracing prefabrication and advanced technology, the team delivered a complex expansion with minimal impact on hospital operations, setting a new standard for healthcare construction. The lessons learned and solutions developed on this project have not only benefited the client and community but have also advanced the industry’s understanding of what is possible in complex healthcare environments.
Owner
Summerville Medical Center
Architect
ESa
Location
Summerville, South Carolina
Size
64,000 Square Feet
