Final Architectural Renderings for HKS-Designed Sanford Fargo Medical Center Unveiled

Sanford Health has unveiled the final architectural renderings showcasing the detailed exterior design of the new Sanford Fargo Medical Center. This is the first time the HKS-designed, $494-million project renderings have been available, giving people a realistic vision of the building's exterior.

The building design is classic collegiate gothic architectural style, Sanford's chosen design for all its new builds. The look is timeless, low-maintenance and serves as a visual embodiment of Sanford Health. The 11-story structure has four hospital towers in the shape of an "X," allowing all patient rooms to have large windows with unobstructed views.

At its peak, it will be seven feet shorter than Fargo's Radisson Hotel. With 384 beds and 1 million square feet, it remains one of the top-10 largest healthcare construction projects in the nation. The location will serve as an I-94 gateway. With 58 percent of Sanford's patients coming from outside the metro area, easy interstate access is key.

"The vision and initial plans to build were first formed in 2009 by Kelby Krabbenhoft and Dr. Roger Gilbertson," said Nate White, chief operating officer, Sanford Health. "With careful planning and a focus on putting patients first, we are very pleased to be at this stage."

The new medical center remains on budget and on schedule. Deep foundation pilings were completed recently, with concrete foundation work to begin soon. Next summer, structural steel will change the skyline in southwest Fargo.

Dan Noble, director of design for HKS, notes, "This project is actually one of the top 10 healthcare projects in terms of cost and size in the whole country with nearly 400 beds and 30 operating rooms. When people come in, it's a more inviting, less institutional, type of atmosphere. Parking is convenient; drop-offs are intuitive and easy to find."

Fargo's new medical center is just one of several projects Sanford is undertaking, totaling more than $1 billion in new clinic and hospital construction over five years. Other projects include: $60-million Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center, $17-million Sanford Moorhead Clinic, $8-million Sanford Bemidji addition and $20-million Sanford Dickinson Clinic, all currently ahead of or on schedule.

Upon completion of the new medical center, Sanford Health will continue its plan to remodel the existing downtown Fargo campus and expand the Roger Maris Cancer Center. Sanford Health Foundation's "Building Tomorrow Today" campaign is supporting this monumental project, with a goal of raising $50 million. For more information, visit sanfordhealth.org, keyword: Building Tomorrow Today.

Design and Construction Team:

HKS, Inc./JLG Architects – architect/designer, Dallas, Texas and Fargo, N.D.

Mortenson/Nor-Son Construction – construction manager, Fargo, N.D. and Minneapolis, Minn.

HKS|Structural Engineering – structural engineer, Dallas, Texas

Lightowler Johnson Associates, Inc. – civil engineer, Fargo, N.D.

Northern Technologies, Inc. – soil engineer, Fargo, N.D.

To follow construction updates or to learn more, visit sanfordhealth.org/fargomedicalcenter.

Project facts:

$494 million, 1 million square feet, 11 stories, 384 beds, 28 operating rooms, 51 ER bays, to be completed in 2016-2017

109 acres, allowing for future expansion

Local companies involved with the project include Hebron Brick Company, S & S Landscaping, MEI, Dakota Fence, Industrial Builders and many more.

Sanford's new medical center will be located on the south side of I-94 at the intersection of Veteran's Boulevard and 51st Street, Fargo.

A helipad is located directly above the emergency center and near the operating rooms, creating optimal access.

Medical services to be housed in the new building remain the same and include a majority of Sanford's inpatient hospital units: Children's/Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Trauma/Operating Rooms, Orthopedics/Neurosurgery, Heart Surgery/Interventional Cardiology and Emergency Services.

The project is designed to meet LEED qualifications in energy and environmental areas.