The expansion project will be implemented using the alliance model and its total value is estimated at EUR 66 million, which will be entered in the order backlog when the agreement for the implementation stage is signed in autumn 2019. The development stage will begin in January 2019 and end in September 2019, to be followed by the implementation stage, which is scheduled to be completed in September 2023.

The expansion project consists of the construction of two new buildings in the same area as the existing hospital in Rovaniemi. With a floor area of approximately 22,700 square metres, the new building will house general hospital functions, and another building sized 8,000 square metres will be a psychiatric hospital. In addition to new buildings, YIT will renovate about 2,800 square metres in current building. The hospital serves the residents of the entire Lapland region in Finland. The aim is to make hospital a patient-centred facility that promotes health, well-being and the recovery process. Its design and construction takes into account the need to minimise the building’s ecological footprint while maximising the overall economy of the investment and the hospital’s use.

“The existing hospital building is no longer capable of serving the region’s population in terms of its size and technical attributes. We need updated facilities with improved operating conditions for functions such as operating rooms, emergency care and the pharmacy. The new building will provide us with flexible premises that are appropriate for our needs,” says Janne Keskinarkaus, the Lapland Hospital District’s Project Director in charge of the expansion project.

“We chose the alliance model because it will help us ensure that the special requirements of hospital operations are taken into account during construction, from the start of the project to its completion,” Keskinarkaus adds.

“The alliance model ensures close cooperation and the effective exchange of information between the parties involved in the project. It suits a challenging project such as hospital construction, which requires special expertise in areas such as building systems OR from the various parties involved in the building’s technical aspects. In addition to new construction, we are responsible for ensuring that the current hospital can operate without any disruptions throughout construction,” says Marko Palonen, Regional Director, Building Construction, Northern Finland at YIT.

In addition to YIT in the role of construction contractor, the alliance includes Prodeco as the developer consultant, Verstas Architects and a special engineering group comprised of Granlund, WSP Finland and L2 Fire Safety. YIT’s building systems partner in the project is Are.