NorthShore University HealthSystem Swedish Hospital

Eriksson Engineering Associates, Ltd. (EEA) provided civil engineering design services for a 5,800SF emergency department expansion at Swedish Hospital. This hospital is now part of the NorthShore University HealthSystem.

Swedish Hospital has been serving the north and northwest sides of Chicago for over 133 years. This hospital offers various comprehensive health and wellness services. Swedish Covenant Hospital prides itself on being one of the most diverse hospitals. Patients arrive daily from all around the world and Chicago for short and long-term stays.

Improvements included underground stormwater detention, a new drop-off canopy, and an atypical grading around the new canopy. When designing the stormwater detention system, EEA engineers worked within the confined urban footprint by designing a network of 36’ reinforced concrete pipes for detention storage. Additionally, the project’s underground utility tunnel required engineers to find creative solutions for routing the new utilities.

EEA coordinated permitting with IDOT for additional access to the hospital’s emergency department from Foster Avenue and a new staff parking area. Since Foster is considerably higher than the hospital, the drop-off area had a challenging grade transition that necessitated increased drainage measures and a precise overland flow path design.