Austin's rapid growth sparked Texas Children's Hospital's bold vision: a $485M campus bringing proven care to this booming market. When COVID hit early in the project, their target opening of February 2024 - chosen to coincide with their 70th anniversary - couldn't budge. With hundreds of team members suddenly remote and a 16-month schedule shortfall, traditional approaches wouldn't cut it.
At HealthSpaces, Gaurav "GK" Khadse, VP of Facilities Planning & Development and Real Estate Services at Texas Children's, shared their vision of reimagined delivery. By breaking the 563,000 sq ft project into strategic packages, they enabled concurrent construction - central plant and garage first, followed by core/shell and interiors. Weekly drone footage kept the extensive virtual team aligned, while online tools, AR and VR enabled remote design reviews and real-time coordination.
Culture proved crucial for virtual success. Targeted training during pre-con ensured active participation across all partners. Digital collaboration became routine through creative exercises. "Chief Fun Officers" maintained momentum through themed music and virtual celebrations. As Khadse noted, "You can talk about “pull planning” and “Lean,” but if your team isn't trained in it, it's just a buzzword."
Results That Matter:
- Compressed traditional 36-month construction into 30 months through parallel delivery
- Completed 52-bed facility on schedule and under budget using lean principles and virtual collaboration
- Created a sustainable campus with HVAC condensate capture for irrigation, energy-efficient equipment and EV charging
- Built a high-performing team ready to undertake the next phase of growth.
Watch GK's full HealthSpaces talk to learn more:
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