In 2019, University of Cincinnati (UC) Health announced its $221 million Clifton Campus Revitalization project. The goal of the project is to create innovative environments that reflect the expertise and passion happening within its medical center every day.

This came at the perfect time. As the region’s only Level I trauma center for adults, UC Medical Center also needed to expand its capacity to provide emergency care to the growing region. This led UC Health to renovate and expand its 30-year-old emergency department at UC Medical Center to increase capacity and patient flow. 

Architect CannonDesign was selected for the project. CannonDesign chose 17,000 square feet of Kingspan’s Quadcore Optimo insulated metal panels (IMPs) to provide a unique, modern aesthetic to the building that fits the theme of UC Health’s Clifton Campus Revitalization. 

Optimo insulated metal wall panels deliver a flat, aesthetically appealing modern building envelope solution. The use of pearlescent micas or metallic colors provides an even more dynamic finish to a project. Optimo panels are ideal for retrofit projects because they can integrate with a variety of profiles, allow for both horizontal and vertical application and come with a wide variety of module widths to meet design requirements.

“There was a lot of work on how we could create a classic look that doesn’t feel dated over time,” Rick Hinds, UC Health interim president and CEO, said at the unveiling ceremony for the project. “The lobby beforehand had a lot of (elements) that went out of style in the '80s. This will stand up over the next 10, 15, 20 years.”

With the region’s growing demand for emergency care, speed of build when renovating the emergency department was also important to provide uninterrupted patient care. The quick and easy installation of IMPs provided a weathertight building envelope faster than other building material options, allowing for inside finish work to begin sooner. The fast-tracked construction helped to prevent scheduling delays and produce on-time project completion. 

IMPs also provide thermal efficiency and energy consumption benefits to the new emergency department. By creating air and watertight continuous insulation seals, IMPs provide strong thermal barriers to maintain safe and comfortable environments for patients. These insulation barriers also help to reduce energy consumption for large complexes like UC Medical Center.