P&N helps Spectrum Health accommodate its small site and connect to surrounding buildings for easier pedestrian travel.

Prein&Newhof was part of the design team for the 11-story Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital at Spectrum Health in downtown Grand Rapids.

The project also included a pedestrian bridge over Michigan Street connecting the Children’s Hospital with the Tower 35 office/parking facility, and a pedestrian tunnel 40 feet below Michigan Street connecting the Children’s Hospital with the Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion.

Prein&Newhof was responsible for:

• Design of underground utilities and engineering of all other site improvements.
• Design for the 400-foot reconstruction of Bostwick Avenue along the west side of the hospital.
• Construction survey for the building foundation and all site improvements.
• Topographic and construction survey for the pedestrian bridge and tunnel. In both cases, the buildings being connected were designed by two different consulting teams.
• Construction plans for a temporary earth retention system needed during the 40-foot-deep excavation of the hospital foundation.
• Survey monitoring of the existing Spectrum Butterworth West Wing, which showed signs of settling after the existing adjacent parking garage was removed to make room for the new Children’s Hospital.

The site was challenging to design, as it has a zero setback distance from the rights-of-way for the building walls, and it changes 35 feet in elevation from the main entrance on Michigan Street to the emergency entrance on Bostwick Avenue.