Rita Bass Trauma & EMS Education Institute -
Denver Health and Hospital Authority
Denver, Colorado

As Denver and its surrounding metropolitan area have grown, so have demands on the city's main public hospital, Denver Health. Expansion became imperative, but was complicated by the hospital's location in a fully developed neighborhood. Eventually a business across the street closed its offices, making the land available for acquisition. The old structures were demolished, to be replaced by a new building intended to serve the needs of the hospital and provide an aesthetic, tranquil environment next to one of the city's busiest intersections.

JFSA was retained to provide structural and civil design for the 12,250-square-foot Rita Bass Trauma and EMS Education Institute. Many structural challenges had to be overcome to give the steel frame building a unique architectural feel. The structure features large windows, a central clerestory, and a high, barrel-roofed auditorium.

Design of the auditorium was particularly demanding. Steel bowstring trusses were used to provide the long-span open area. Interior and exterior retaining walls were incorporated to allow stadium seating without having to increase the eave height of the building.

A complex lateral system was designed to accommodate interruption of the roof level shear diaphragm by the glass-walled clerestories, and the large window areas. Both steel bracing and rigid frames were utilized to react against wind loads.

Client: Roybal Corporation