One of the most important healthcare institutions in Brazil, Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz hired Racional to carry out expansion work on its premises. One of the key challenges of the project was to minimize the impacts of construction on the hospital complex which was operating normally.
The building’s contemporary design made of glass and aluminum panels boasts five underground floors, lower ground floor, intermediate ground floor, upper ground floor, upper intermediate ground floor and other 15 floors.
City: São PauloBuilt-up area: 31,734 m² Number of beds: 183 apartments, 13 ICU beds and a surgical center Execution timeframe: 25 monthsYear of completion: 2012 Client: Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz
General Contractor (GC)
The Oswaldo Cruz Hospital (Block E) achieved LEED Gold certification.
The construction complies with LEED requirements, from the choice of land and jobsite location to waste management. The project also provided for the rational use of water and optimization of energy efficiency by means of motion sensors in all traffic areas as they ensure a reduction in power load during the night when fewer people circulate. Other sustainable construction requirements were implemented, such as restricted use of CFCs, renewable energy measures like a solar energy system for heating water, certified wood, an air quality control plan, and a automated system to activate all internal functions of the rooms, i.e., television, lights, blinds, telephone, among others.
As opposed to other construction projects, hospital facility projects have many particularities.
New equipment had to be purchased due to unfavorable work conditions of confined excavation. The solution was to use an overhaul system to take excavated soil to the trucks more quickly.
Racional opted to use a conveyor belt and small machines for this end The use of this equipment reduced work time for this construction phase and eliminated the risk of accidents resulting from the use of skid steer loaders.
An innovative solution was used for on-site toilets/showers that are produced on an industrial scale. The toilets are placed in a planned area and connected to the water, sewage and energy mains.
Two floors are equipped with semi-intensive care equipment and the Relationship-Based Care (RBC) model.
