DPR Construction and SmithGroup Celebrate Completion of UC Davis Health 48X Complex
DPR Construction and SmithGroup joined UC Davis Health to cut the ribbon of the 48X Complex, one of the most technically advanced outpatient surgery centers in the United States. The 48X Complex will welcome its first patient on July 1, 2025.
The project’s completion marks a significant milestone in UC Davis Health’s strategy to expand access to care and address the growing demand for outpatient surgical capacity at its main hospital. As the new outpatient surgery center opens its doors, the facility stands to make an immediate and lasting impact on the Sacramento community.
"The 48X Complex represents a bold step forward in how we approach health care delivery," said Michael Condrin, interim CEO and chief operating officer for UC Davis Health. "With the growing demand for outpatient surgery, the desire for more convenient and personalized care and the rise of minimally invasive procedures, we are advancing the way care is provided, ensuring the highest-quality care for patients throughout Northern California, the Central Valley and beyond."
The team of DPR Construction and SmithGroup utilized a progressive design-build delivery to bring the 268,228-sq.-ft. 48X Complex to life. The new facility boasts a full floor of 14 operating rooms (OR), including a hybrid OR and multiple robotic ORs, as well as a full suite of four interventional radiology rooms. The majority of the ORs are universal and fully integrated with the most advanced IT and video capabilities, ensuring maximum flexibility.
In addition to 14 operating rooms, the new facility will support a robust program that includes:
- 59 pre- and post-operative recovery bays
- 14 single-occupant 23-hour recovery rooms
- 96 clinical exam rooms
- 19 clinical treatment rooms
- Pharmacy, imaging, physical therapy
- Administration and conference space
Outside, the exterior design’s dynamic shifting planes establish a prominent, strikingly modern presence on the campus. Lush, park-like landscaping, with open spaces and respite areas, culminates in a ground-level breezeway that connects the complex to the broader campus and community. Inside, the design features daylight, colors, and natural elements that evoke water, trees, and sky, fostering a healing environment while next-generation technologies enhance patient care and recovery.
“We are thrilled to deliver this project to the Sacramento community ahead of schedule,” said Abe Sipes, DPR’s Sacramento Business Unit Leader and project executive on the project. “Collaboration, planning, prefabrication, and the commitment of our team are what made it possible. When we’re helping bring care services online for the community, every day matters.”
As the design-build partner of the project, SmithGroup provided a wide range of services, including architecture, medical planning, energy & environmental modeling, interior design, landscape architecture, lighting design, MEP engineering and structural engineering.
“This project is a showcase for innovative design, construction delivery and cutting-edge technology,” said Gabriel Fonseca, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Principal at SmithGroup. “The 48X Complex is a new model for outpatient surgery that can adapt swiftly to evolving patient needs, ensuring a resilient and sustainable healthcare environment. By creating this flexible, future-ready facility, UC Davis Health can continue to deliver exceptional care in a constantly changing healthcare landscape.”
The 48X Complex at UC Davis Health exemplifies the institution’s commitment to both clinical excellence and environmental sustainability. Designed to exceed the UC Sustainable Practices Policy’s energy efficiency goals, the facility is targeting LEED(®) Gold certification and aims to operate 33% below ASHRAE 90.1 standards. Features like sunshade fins and frit glass optimize energy performance in the sunny, dry Sacramento Valley climate. As a result, the 48X Complex stands as a model of healthy, efficient, and environmentally responsible design.
For more information, visit: UC Davis Health announces new 48X Complex with ribbon-cutting.
About DPR Construction
DPR Construction is a forward-thinking, self-performing general contractor and construction manager specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects for the advanced technology, life sciences, healthcare, higher education and commercial markets. DPR’s portfolio of work ranges from large-scale new construction to small tenant improvements and special projects. Founded in 1990, DPR is a great story of entrepreneurial success as a private, employee-owned company that has grown to a multi-billion-dollar organization with offices around the world. Strategically focused on delivering more predictable outcomes through applications of virtual design & construction, prefabrication, its team of self-perform craft, and leveraging data to learn and improve from DPR consistently ranks among the top building contractors and employs approximately 11,000 professionals across its family of companies. For more information, visit http://www.dpr.com.
About SmithGroup
SmithGroup is one of the world’s preeminent integrated design firms. Working across a network of 21 offices in the U.S. and China, a team of 1,500 experts is committed to excellence in strategy, design, and delivery. The scale of the firm’s thinking and organization produces partnerships with forward-looking clients that maximize opportunities, minimize risk and solve their most complex problems. SmithGroup creates exceptional design solutions for healthcare, science and technology organizations, higher education and cultural institutions, urban environments, diverse workplaces, mixed-use and waterfront developments, and parks and open spaces.
Photo Credit: UC Davis Health