Hospital for Women and Children Ascension Sant Vicent
Indianapolis
Merit Award
Presented by Pepper construction
Owner: Medxcel
Main design company: CannonDesign
General contractor: Pepper Construction of Indiana
Civil Engineer: Kimley-Horn
Structural Engineer/MEP: CannonDesign
After progress on this $165 million hospital stalled for a year under a previous contractor, Pepper Construction took over and implemented an integrated project delivery model and 90-day action plan that saw site work begin after just 60 days, resulting in project completion in just over 22 months.
The result is an eight-story, 278,000-square-foot hospital with 109 rooms that is the first facility in Indiana to offer wall care, allowing high-risk mothers and their babies to remain together during their stay.
Strategic prefabrication in 41% of the project and lean construction practices made this speed-to-market project possible. Precast elements included exterior panels and key interior components, while a thermally broken cladding support system helped increase energy performance by combining the structural integrity of steel with the thermal insulating properties of fiberglass. And as part of the project’s sustainability effort, the design incorporated efficient, regionally sourced materials throughout the facility. Crews also diverted more than 250 tons of waste from landfills.
Although the project was completed over the original budget of $148 million, with a final cost of $165 million, this included additional scope approved by the owner, such as utility management of the chilled water system, hazardous waste disposal, and generator installation.
Facing many interesting challenges, the team delivered the project on time in January 2025.
