The Biplane Project name comes from the Steris equipment installed in the new operating room, allowing imaging of the brain and the body at the same time. Radiology imaging equipment is installed on the floor and a ceiling mounted C arm can move anywhere along the operating table. At the time, this logistically-challenging project was a one-of-a-kind. It was built in the middle of the Emergency Department at Rhode Island Hospital, and required expanding an existing x-ray room and a MRI prep room into one large procedure room. To expand the room, a large steel diagonal cross-brace needed to be structurally reworked and an area above needed to be modified while the twenty-two operating rooms continued to function twenty-four hours a day.

Architect: Lifespan Design Team

Challenges: Occupied & Active Hospital Environment, Sensitive Medical Machinery, Structural Modifications

About The Client: Rhode Island Hospital is a private, 719-bed, not-for-profit acute care hospital. They are the largest hospital in the state and provide comprehensive services to patients.