MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Interdisciplinary design firm HGA announces the completion of the Richard M. Schulze Surgical and Critical Care Center (Schulze Building), a 10-story, 620,000-square-foot addition to Abbott Northwestern Hospital housing 190 private inpatient rooms. The design firm worked with Allina Health to integrate new critical care spaces, including 30 advanced operating rooms built for complex procedures, into the campus’s existing facilities, creating a unified hub for specialized clinical services.
To improve circulation, connectivity, and the overall patient experience across the campus, HGA implemented several key infrastructure and planning improvements. These included a new consolidated front entrance to enhance wayfinding and patient access at the Schulze Building; the renovation of approximately 200,000 square feet within the existing hospital to integrate new and existing spaces while modernizing critical areas such as operating rooms; and new roadways to improve circulation for the hospital’s emergency department.
Located in one of the state’s busiest urban centers, the hospital remained fully operational throughout the construction project, which was the largest in Allina Health’s history. To support uninterrupted patient care, HGA utilized a phased implementation strategy and created both temporary circulation routes and an underground logistics and utilities network that completely separated service functions from patient and visitor movement.
“From the outset, this project was about more than delivering a new building; it was about helping Allina Health realize a long-term vision for a more connected, resilient hospital campus,” said Jennifer Klund, Principal at HGA. “Our team worked closely with Allina Health to design a facility that expands access to specialized medical services today while remaining flexible enough to adapt to tomorrow’s technologies, clinical needs, and health care delivery models. The Schulze Building demonstrates how thoughtful, human-centered design can strengthen both the patient experience and hospital operations for decades to come.”
Designed for long-term flexibility, the Schulze Building incorporates Minnesota’s first large-scale inpatient implementation of prefabricated DIRTT wall systems, allowing care spaces to be reconfigured with minimal disruption. The facility also features in-room technology platform “hellocare,” enabling patients to control their environment and access real-time health information, while standardized operating rooms accommodate a range of surgical specialties and departments.
To improve clinical workflows, HGA collaborated with Allina Health staff to analyze how clinicians, supplies, and services move throughout the campus. The team implemented autonomous mobile robots called TUGs, which use an underground transport system to move medications, linens, sterile supplies, and other materials through dedicated service routes. The system allows staff to focus more time on patients.
“The Richard M. Schulze Surgical and Critical Care Center represents a transformational investment in the future of health care for our region,” said David Joos, President of Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Senior Vice President of Operations at Allina Health. “HGA was a true partner in helping us create an environment that strengthens our ability to deliver expert care while making the campus easier to navigate, more efficient to operate, and more welcoming for every patient, family member, and care team member.”
The design was informed by incorporating insights from community interviews into design strategies, ensuring community perspectives were reflected throughout the project’s development. Beyond clinical spaces, the Schulze Building incorporates areas designed to promote wellness, connection, and respite. The team transformed the Founder’s Mall into an arrival garden, while a 27,000-square-foot rooftop garden with panoramic views of the surrounding city adds to the exterior non-clinical space. New skyway connections also provide year-round access between the campus and offsite parking facilities.
The interior design balances functionality, flexibility, and a healing aesthetic through a strategic color palette, materials that reflect Allina Health’s brand identity and intuitive wayfinding elements throughout the facility. Guided pathways, lighting features, and waiting areas provide patients and families with clear navigation and spaces that offer flexibility and choice. The design team also integrated hand-painted watercolors, nature photography, and murals by local artists throughout the facility, drawing inspiration from Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, and aspen forests to connect patients to the region’s natural landscape.
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The project team included HGA for architecture and engineering, general contractor Mortenson as construction manager and community workforce partner, and specialty consultants including Jacobs.
