Integrating Technology and Process in Cathedral Hill Hospital Project

As building information modeling (BIM) spreads in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, designers, engineers, contractors and owners are exploring how to best utilize it to improve the way they do business. This fundamental change is further accelerated with the emergence of collaborative project delivery methods such as integrated project delivery and lean construction. In this “perfect storm,” how do teams integrate, process and utilize BIM to its best extent? Sutter Health’s Cathedral Hill Hospital (CHH) project is a 1.2 million square foot urban replacement hospital in San Francisco. It is not just designed to be a state-of-the-art hospital but also to break new ground in multiple areas of design, construction, and operations. As the CHH integrated project delivery team (IPDT) neared completion of the preconstruction efforts, the authors used this article to outline some of the key ideas and tools practiced in this phase.