Essentia Health Vision Northland

Representing the largest private investment in Duluth’s history, the new $800M Vision Northland campus will consolidate Essentia’s Duluth operations into a new 812,000 SF facility and freshly renovated 117,000 SF existing building. The project includes new medical outpatient and inpatient towers connected by two central service floor plates that tie the towers together. Roof top plazas and garden space will capitalize on views of Lake Superior while providing outdoor healing and amenities space. Due to the harsh climate of northern Minnesota and significant exposure to the high winds and cold temperatures generated by the Great Lakes, the project demands a high-performing building enclosure system. Beginning early in the design phase, Lerch Bates was retained by EwingCole to assist with development of building envelope performance requirements, perform technical plan and specification reviews, assess the existing building enclosure that will be integrated into the new campus, review sub-contractor submittal packages, witness laboratory mock-up testing, develop quality control checklists, attend pre-construction meetings, and provide quality assurance observations throughout construction.