O'Donnell & Naccarato Marks Groundbreaking for Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Expansion

Camden, New Jersey – O'Donnell & Naccarato (O&N), a leading structural engineering firm specializing in innovative and client-focused design solutions, celebrated the groundbreaking of a significant expansion to Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, one of the area's leading providers of cardiac and clinical care.

The $500 million project, part of Virtua's “Advancing Well” reinvestment campaign, will include a six-story, 254,000 square-foot bed tower with 78 private rooms, as well as state-of-the-art operating suites for organ transplant and acute cardiac and neurosurgical procedures. A new helipad, constructed on the roof of an existing pavilion across campus, will improve staff response time and patient transportation between hospitals throughout the region.

O&N, which is providing structural engineering services for the project, is also conducting a façade condition assessment and other renovations to the nearly 80-year-old main hospital building, as Virtua continues to meet the increasing demand while establishing centers of excellence for advanced clinical care.

“O&N is proud to partner with Our Lady of Lourdes on this transformative expansion in the heart of Camden,” said Michael Herrmann, Vice President of O'Donnell & Naccarato. “The project will ensure that South Jersey residents have access to the best acute healthcare services in updated, modern facilities that reflect Virtua's deep commitment to improving outcomes throughout the region.”

Employing a concrete slab on metal deck floor system, the tower's steel-frame structure will be supported on a deep foundation of auger cast piles and tie directly into the existing hospital facility. The new helipad will also require a vertical expansion and fit-out to the existing pavilion structure to accommodate the landing area, as well as an extended elevator shaft to reach the roof.

O&N is partnering on the project with Vivid Project Management, Array Architects, mechanical engineer TLC Engineering Solutions, contractor L.F. Driscoll Company, civil engineer Taylor Wiseman & Taylor, and geotechnical engineering consultant Haley Aldrich.

O&N has long partnered with Our Lady of Lourdes, providing façade and restoration services for all five of the campus' buildings. The firm also recently broke ground on the planned $3 billion expansion to Cooper University Healthcare and has been integral to efforts aimed at redeveloping Camden, providing structural engineering services on over 300 projects throughout the county including the Triad Building, Subaru Headquarters, Holtec, and Hilton Garden Inn.

About O'Donnell & Naccarato   

O'Donnell & Naccarato is an employee-owned structural engineering firm operating nationally from our offices in Philadelphia, Mountainside, New Jersey, New York City, Indianapolis, Miami, Orlando, Columbus and Cleveland. With strong experience in every major vertical construction sector, O'Donnell & Naccarato supports the entire lifecycle of a building, starting with the initial structural design to renovations and ultimately to restoration.      

As a partner to design professionals, owners and institutions, our objective is to incorporate each stakeholder's demands of form, function, schedule and budget into each engagement. O'Donnell & Naccarato is a proud Employee Stock Ownership Plan company, providing all employees the opportunity to share in the success of the firm.  

For more information, visit www.o-n.com.