Prefabrication at Munster Hospital

The Franciscan Health Munster expansion required adding three new stories, approximately 18,000 SF per floor, on top of an active hospital. This type of healthcare construction brings tight constraints: limited laydown space, ongoing patient care, infection control risks, and the need to safely move workers and materials through an occupied facility. With 50 exam rooms and 30 bathroom pods planned, coordination and speed were critical.

Healthcare construction experts, Tonn and Blank, approached the project with a focus on modular construction and prefabrication to reduce on-site congestion and improve safety. Bathroom pods and wall panels were built off-site through our off-site construction (OSC) approach, allowing interior work to progress faster once the structure was ready.

Self perform crews managed key scopes, including concrete pours, structural coordination, and interior sequencing, which helped maintain control over quality and schedule. Early milestone, like installing a temporary elevator, created safe, efficient vertical access for both materials and workforce. Structural steel, stair towers, and curtain wall installation were carefully sequenced to keep the building enclosed and allow interior finishes to move forward without exposing the hospital to unnecessary risk.

Throughout construction, infection control planning and daily coordination ensured work remained isolated from hospital operations. Prefabrication reduced the number of trades and hours required on-site—an important factor in active healthcare environments.

Result
By leveraging prefabrication and modular construction, the team reduced on-site labor congestion and enabled overlapping work activities across multiple floors. Interior progress—flooring, ceilings, cabinets, and MEP startup—advanced in parallel, keeping the schedule moving despite the complexity of vertical expansion. Most importantly, hospital operations continued without disruption, maintaining a safe environment for patients, staff, and visitors.

This project reflects a practical, experience-driven approach to healthcare construction where prefabrication, self perform work, and thoughtful sequencing create real value in active hospital settings.

Exam room installation – our crews make it look easy!