New hospital building of the future: digital throughout

Markus Meier, CEO of Aarau Cantonal Hospital, has a clear vision: "With the Dreiklang project, we want to build the hospital of the future: networked, digital and with people at the center. It should be a place where patients are treated and where innovations and the medicine of tomorrow can develop. For the new replacement building, we were looking for a partner who naturally has the construction expertise and can relieve us as a total contractor. We found that in this collaboration."

New "Dreiklang" building at Aarau Cantonal Hospital: the hospital of the future is to be built here

Recognizing risks at an early stage

Sandra Malicki, Implenia's deputy overall project manager and planning manager for the project, emphasizes: "With the TU model, the client has a contact person with clear responsibilities. The process ensures that risks are identified at an early stage and decisions can be made easily."

Total contractor: technically and structurally at a high level

"A project as large as the Dreiklang needs a total contractor as a partner who can work at a very high level both technically and structurally," explains Claudia Drahotta, Project Manager Architecture at ARGE PB/WTR and Managing Director of Wörner Traxler Richter. "With Implenia, we have a partner that has supported us at a very high level in terms of BIM planning and can also handle such a large project in terms of construction."

BIM for efficient collaboration

Patric Sommer, Senior BIM Manager at Implenia, explains: "The basic challenge with such a large, complex project is that everyone involved has to work together efficiently. The users, planners and companies involved, but also the client: that's a lot of people who all have to collaborate. This is where the digital methodology, BIM (Building Information Modeling), plays a very important role."

BIM makes complex interfaces visible

He describes the added value of the BIM methodology as follows: "You can recognize the complex interfaces very early on, especially in complex areas such as highly installed medical technology areas or a technical center. Everyone works in a shared digital space, which can then ensure a smooth construction process."

Optimizing processes with all stakeholders at an early stage

Sandra Malicki describes how this works in practice: "We involve the users in the project at an early stage by asking them about their medical and operational requirements via a structured project organization. This allows us to incorporate them into the planning at an early stage and subsequently into the implementation. This enables us to work with the partner contractors to develop design variants and optimize processes, and subsequently achieve high quality on the construction site as well as adherence to deadlines."

Models reduce the error rate

Urs Baumann, Senior Project Manager Heating/Cooling, Hälg & Co. AG, describes his experience as a partner contractor on the project: "Based on the models, it was clear to us what had to be built. All the trades were coordinated and clearly showed us what was required. This massively reduced the error rate."

Models reduce error rates

And Roland Graf, Partner/Site Manager Zurich, Kalt + Halbeisen Ingenieurbüro AG, adds: "We are particularly proud of the fact that our planning could be transferred directly from the contractor to the factory assembly planning in this project, thus ensuring a smooth process."

Digital twin for building operation

Patric Sommer also emphasizes the advantages of the BIM methodology beyond the construction phase: "With the digital building documentation - revision documents, linked with manufacturer information and, above all, with the BIM model - we provide the basis for the digital twin for the subsequent building operation of the Dreiklang."

Basis for future development

Martin Schelshorn, Digital Twin Project Manager, Kantonsspital Aarau AG, confirms this: "Our digital building data forms a structured and reliable basis for facility management, planning maintenance, carrying out servicing and promptly rectifying faults. The digital foundation we have created will also help us in the future to further develop and change our hospital."

A success: We have built a flagship project

The new hospital building is entering its final phase - an opportunity for Daniel Hauswirth, Project Manager Architecture ARGE BP/WTR, Parter Burckhardt Architektur AG, to take stock: "We are very satisfied with this flagship project. When we started the project, we set out to build a flagship project, and I believe we have succeeded."

Goal achieved, vision fulfilled

Claudia Drahotta also thinks: "The greatest satisfaction for me as an architect is when future users who now see how the project has turned out come out proud and happy because they have found themselves and what we developed together six years ago now suits them too, and they say that this is exactly what I wanted."

"We can all be proud together"

The most important vote comes from the client, KSA CEO Markus Meier: "I am convinced that we can all be proud together. You could tell that from all the people involved: It wasn't just a job, it was a vocation. We wanted to build a modern hospital together. This is not just any short project, it needs trust, 100% trust. You have to be able to rely on each other. We found that with Implenia as our partner."

• The building concept for the new Aarau Cantonal Hospital focuses on functionality and short distances for staff and patients.
• On a floor area of around 110000 square meters, 472 inpatient beds, 130 day clinic places and 21 operating theatres are planned for the future.
• The new building is divided into three main areas: Outpatient clinics, functional areas and wards. Nevertheless, the areas form a single unit in the overall building.

Find out more about the new KSA building

To the KSA video