At the shared campus of the University Hospital Vienna (AKH) and the Medical University of Vienna, approximately 1.4 billion euros will be invested by 2030 in new construction, renovation, and refurbishment of buildings. This will create a new, highly efficient, and modern infrastructure for patients, staff, and visitors, as well as for research and teaching, ensuring the best possible medical care and preparing for the challenges of the future.

In the future, the East Ward Building which is visible from a distance will also be renovated. To ensure that hospital operations can continue during the renovation work, a new building was constructed to house nursing wards, treatment and therapy rooms, and an outpatient clinic: The South Nursing Ward Building is a central component of the modernization program for Austria’s largest healthcare facility.

Architecture That Connects: Wooden Modular Construction for State-of-the-Art Healthcare
The project sets new standards in the design and construction of solid wood modular structures for the healthcare sector, as well as in sustainability and flexibility. The structure consists of 112 prefabricated wooden modules made of CLT (cross-laminated timber) elements, which were transported from Styria to Vienna via special shipments and assembled with millimeter precision on the hospital grounds to form a four-story building featuring state-of-the-art care and treatment rooms. Each module comprises a 32 m² turnkey room, most of which include a sanitary unit. In total, the timber module building comprises 46 patient rooms with 88 beds, a day clinic, and 45 therapy, work, and auxiliary rooms with a usable floor area of 3,300 m². A total of 2,260 m³ of wood was used in construction, which significantly reduces the carbon footprint and creates a particularly pleasant and natural atmosphere.

High-Quality Hospital Building Designed to Meet the Highest Standards
The innovative timber-frame modular building in the south garden of the AKH campus meets or exceeds all structural and building physics requirements, thereby satisfying the highest standards. Constructed primarily using timber-frame modular construction and connected to the main building, the new structure comprises four stories that primarily house inpatient wards and a day clinic for the care of cancer patients. Access to the new South Nursing Ward Buildingis from the west, and it connects to the main building (AKH) via a patient corridor that leads to an administrative control center—for the internal transport of patients. Each floor has a nursing station, and the day clinic is located on the ground floor.

Inclusive Circular Economy
The South Nursing Ward Buildingactively contributes to Vienna’s circular economy. Its modular design makes it possible to dismantle the building after it has served its purpose during renovation work on the main building and reassemble it at another location, which exemplifies resource conservation and reusability. The project thus also highlights the commitment of University Hospital Vienna (AKH) and the City of Vienna to sustainable construction.