How Prefab and Early Trade Alignment Delivered for Atrium Health

The Adult Acute Care New Bed Tower is a transformative 12-story expansion at Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center campus in Charlotte, NC. Designed to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the region, the facility includes 448 adaptable patient rooms, 38 operating rooms, a pod-style emergency department and a rooftop helipad—all integrated with existing hospital infrastructure. It’s a major investment in the future of care for the Metro Charlotte community.

From the earliest stages, Atrium Health’s leadership set the tone, bringing a patient-first mindset and a clear expectation for collaboration that shaped every decision that followed.

“The best projects always have an owner with a vision,” said Karl Schantz, design partner with NBBJ. “Atrium really had a vision.”

That vision was to deliver a facility with intention, made possible through early planning, strategic design, and a construction approach that prioritized safety, efficiency and quality. Atrium’s active involvement helped align the team around a shared purpose and created the conditions for something rare: a project where prefabrication wasn’t just possible, it was elevated.

Before any concrete was poured or panels were set, trade partners were already planning for prefabrication. Many had invested in these solutions as part of their business models and brought that mindset to the table from day one.

“Without those trade innovations, coming from the trades themselves, this project would not be where it’s at today,” said Lee Warren, a DPR prefabrication manager.

That early alignment—between Atrium Health, the design team and trade partners—was baked into the design, coordinated through BIM and supported by detailed planning that gave every partner confidence in the path forward. The project was delivered through a joint venture between DPR Construction and Rodgers Builders, with NBBJ as the lead architect and major trade partners including SurePods, BKI, Adams Electric, and MSS playing critical roles in executing prefabrication at scale.

“Bringing in the right people early for design assist scope… that’s what made the project successful,” Warren said. 
 

Having all stakeholders on the same page meant that solutions could be delivered at scale, with DPR’s in‑house teams prefabricating the SurePods units along with headwalls, exterior panels, multi‑trade racks, pressure‑reducing valve stations and HVAC skids before installing them onsite safely and efficiently.

The results were tangible. More than 40,000 ft. of pipe were prefabricated. Electrical rooms and underground cages were built in controlled environments. According to Jim Corbin of BKI, the project saved over 58,000 man-hours onsite.

But the benefits went beyond numbers. Prefab helped protect the schedule, reduce congestion, and improve site cleanliness—critical on a tight footprint with thousands of workers.

“Prefab may not reduce the schedule, but it keeps it from pushing out,” said Jeff Schroder, associate vice president with Atrium Health. “When you start bringing skin, pods, racks, headwalls, now you start pulling critical path elements.”

The use of prefab also reflected a broader industry shift toward building smarter, leveraging field-driven methods that improve quality and reduce risk.

“The flag on the hill was 80% prefab,” Warren said. “But the indirect results—labor offsite, higher quality, surety of schedule—were the goals we were really aiming for.”
 

While culture wasn’t the headline, it was the glue. When design adjustments affected the sequencing of prefab installations, the team turned to big room sessions to rework plans and keep the schedule intact.

“We kept the big rooms going… this is the first time I’ve seen that really drive a project to completion,” said Wes Dunaway of MSS.

Those sessions became a cornerstone of the project, enabling real-time decisions and cross-functional problem-solving that kept momentum strong, even as complexity grew.

“We’re not pointing fingers, there are no bullies,” said Schantz. “We’re getting it done together.”

The impact of this alignment—between owner vision, trade partner innovation, and prefab execution—was clear. Safety incidents were well below market average, and the site remained clean and organized, even at peak activity.

“We even have groups where people can talk if they’re having emotional struggles,” Schroder said. “It’s been impressive to watch this team take safety to a new level.”

Beyond metrics, the project created opportunities. More than 500 people worked on the job from start to finish—earning wages, building skills, and contributing to a facility that will serve the community for generations.

“That’s people who can show up, make money, and take care of their families,” said Patrick Sloan of BKI.

The team also partnered with the Rebuilding Opportunities in Construction program to bring local talent into prefab shops, supporting workforce development and expanding access to construction careers.

And through it all, the purpose remained front and center.

“You feel like somebody’s going to be helped by this facility,” Warren said. “That’s something we’ll all carry with us.”