Founded in 1881, Maryland General Hospital (MGH) is one of the hospitals that make part of the University of Maryland Medical System (see Figure 1). The MGH is located in downtown Baltimore, providing a full spectrum of healthcare to more than 110,000 patients in west Baltimore (UMMS 2010). In the years previous to 2007, the hospital experienced considerable growth in admissions, births, emergency room visits, and outpatient visits. Therefore, to address the health care needs of the growing patients and improve its core facilities, the hospital initiated a central care expansion in December 2007. The 96,534 square foot expansion completed in March 2010 was connected to the existing structure (built in the 1950s) and included 8 new operating suites, 4 specialty rooms, 18-bed intensive-care units (ICU), a pharmacy, and a laboratory among others (MGH 2010, Goodykoontz 2009)
(ref:Georgia Tech Digital Building Lab)