Rebecca Maloney
Americas Press Office ,Boston
The Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center celebrates progress with a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony.
On 21 November, the San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) celebrated its rebuild project progress with a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony, before the facility officially opens in the spring. Financed by a voter-approved bond, as well as a record number of significant donations — including one by Dr Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg — the new facility is being delivered with the highest standards of quality and sustainability.
SFGH has the city’s busiest emergency room and operates as its sole trauma centre. The main acute care hospital comprises two structures, built in 1974, which were not up to seismic code. The new facility will be a seismically resilient structure to ensure continued hospital operations during a seismic event — while nearly tripling the emergency department space.
Arup provided structural engineering as well as lighting and sustainability consulting services for the new facility. We designed the new base-isolated structure using triple-friction pendulum isolators. This base isolation will allow the hospital to glide 30 inches in any direction, making it the most advanced seismic resistant design in existence and able to withstand large earthquakes in this highly seismic region.
The project is also on track to meet LEED Gold certification or better.