The Barton Malow | Edifice joint venture team has begun structural steel work at Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s future Roper Hospital campus in North Charleston, marking a pivotal milestone in the construction of the $1.2 billion facility. The start of steel work signals the project’s transition from below-grade construction to its vertical rise, bringing the building’s form to life on the 27-acre site.
The new campus, designed by E4H Environments for Health Architecture (a MOREgroup Brand) and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), will deliver 805,000 SF of advanced healthcare space for the Lowcountry community. The building will include 328 inpatient beds, a 47-bay emergency department, 44 critical care beds, 18 operating rooms, a comprehensive imaging department, and a 12-bay hemodialysis unit. Completion is targeted for 2029.
“Beginning structural steel is a moment every project team works toward. It’s when the community will start to see the building take shape as a place they will receive care,” says Dan Buchta, Barton Malow | Edifice Vice President of Project Delivery. “We’re proud to hit this milestone on schedule and look forward to continuing to build on the momentum.”
Barton Malow | Edifice is leading construction of the Roper Hospital campus using a target-value delivery method, which allows the team to adapt design components while maintaining budget and schedule integrity. The approach has been instrumental in navigating site-specific challenges, including complex seismic conditions, FAA height restrictions, and a high-water table.
The campus masterplan is organized around a central pedestrian green belt that links the site’s three parcels with shaded walkways, gardens, and plazas. The architecture and interiors draw from the native flora and historic street spaces of the Lowcountry, creating a patient-centered environment designed for healing.
The future Roper Hospital in North Charleston will be the fourth location for the facility since it opened in downtown Charleston in 1856, continuing a nearly 200-year tradition of serving the region.
