PORTLAND, OR — Skanska has completed construction of the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Vista Pavilion, a 14-story, 530,000-square-foot hospital expansion on the university’s OHSU Marquam Hill campus. The project represents one of Oregon’s most challenging health care construction efforts — delivered safely, sustainably, and on schedule despite pandemic-era disruptions and an active hospital environment.
“Building into a hillside on an active health care campus required meticulous planning and precision,” said Trevor Wyckoff, Executive Vice President and General Manager for Skanska USA Building in Oregon and southwest Washington. “We approached every decision — from crane placement to prefabrication — with patient safety and continuity of care in mind. We’re proud to have completed Vista Pavilion and helped expand access to OHSU’s world-class health care services.”
Set to open to patients in April 2026, Vista Pavilion will add 128 patient beds, with space for an additional 56 beds in the future, increasing OHSU’s bed capacity by nearly one-third. The new facility will care for patients of all ages who need the highest level of hospital care for cancer and other complex conditions. As these specialized services relocate from their current locations to Vista Pavilion, OHSU will open space elsewhere on campus, significantly expanding capacity to serve more patients.
Skanska’s team leveraged a collaborative project delivery model with OHSU to maintain open communication, optimize costs, and ensure uninterrupted operations at OHSU’s Level 1 trauma center 24/7.
Skanska implemented a series of innovative technical and sustainability solutions to overcome site constraints and operational challenges:
| Your local Gomaco dealer |
|---|
| American Construction Supply |
| American Construction Supply |
- Road relocation and a multi-modal hub: To create a buildable footprint on a steep hillside while OHSU remained fully operational, the project team carved into the slope and relocated a campus road, shifting it back once major tower construction was complete. That same hillside cut was transformed into a permanent, space-efficient multi-modal hub that layers critical functions into a single footprint, including generator fuel storage for three generators, bike parking, and a bus stop — maximizing limited space while supporting campus operations both during construction and long term.
- Three pedestrian sky bridges: These connections link the new tower to OHSU Hospital and Kohler Pavilion, enhancing patient and staff flow. Constructing them required high-precision alignment and careful sequencing because the bridges tie into active hospital buildings and work had to be coordinated to minimize disruption to 24/7 operations.
- Prefabrication and modular assembly: Major building components were constructed off site to reduce congestion, improve quality control, and accelerate the schedule.
- Just-in-time delivery: Coordinated scheduling minimized onsite storage and maintained safe access routes for emergency vehicles and hospital staff in a constrained, active campus environment.
- Sustainable materials and job site practices: The project included many sustainable elements and innovations, including diverting about 90 percent of construction waste from landfills; using lower-carbon concrete mixes; prioritizing healthier interior materials with low levels of volatile organic compounds; managing indoor air quality during construction; and thorough building systems testing to help the facility run as efficiently and reliably as possible.
Planning and design of Vista Pavilion began in early 2020, shortly before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a brief pause, the project resumed and was completed on time and on budget. Skanska credits its collaboration with OHSU and other partners, including global architecture firm NBBJ, with the project’s success.
Many Skanska crew members have personal connections to OHSU and its cancer programs, inspiring the creation of an onsite “Wall of Stories” — a display where workers shared their personal motivations for building a facility dedicated to healing.
“Every story on that wall reminded us of who we were building for,” Wyckoff said. “Delivering the Vista Pavilion is a remarkable milestone and contribution to the health and resilience of our community.”
