How to Keep an Active Hospital Protected During Construction
There comes a point in some hospital expansions when the construction team has to do something that sounds completely backward:
Remove part of the exterior protecting an active hospital.
The façade comes down.
A large opening is created.
Construction connects to the existing building.
But inside?
Patients are still receiving care.
Staff are still working.
Hospital operations are still running.
That's why hospital construction inside or alongside an active healthcare facility requires a different approach to temporary protection.
You aren't simply protecting unfinished construction from weather.
You're creating a controlled boundary between an active construction site and an active hospital.
At the Mayo Clinic expansion, that meant planning protection before the existing façade was opened—not after.
The project used a phased strategy: scaffold wrap for immediate containment around the work zone, followed by RWES for more robust construction weather protection as the project moves toward winter.
The takeaway for other healthcare construction teams is simple:
If you're going to open an active hospital, decide how you're going to protect it before the opening is ever created.
The Moment the Building Opens, Everything Changes
Before façade removal, the existing building envelope is doing its job.
It separates interior spaces from exterior conditions.
Then construction begins connecting the expansion.
Sections of the existing façade have to come down.
Suddenly, the project has to manage conditions the permanent exterior previously controlled.
Rain.
Wind.
Exterior temperatures.
Construction debris.
Open work areas.
And the separation between construction and occupied hospital space.
This is why a hospital expansion can't treat temporary protection as something to figure out later.
Once the permanent building envelope is interrupted, temporary protection has to take over.
At Mayo Clinic, the construction team planned for that transition before the façade came down.
Protect first. Open second.
Mayo Clinic's Challenge: Construction on One Side, Healthcare on the Other
The challenge wasn't simply keeping rain out of an unfinished building.
This was an active hospital.
That changes the priorities.
Construction crews needed room to perform façade removal, structural work, and expansion activities.
At the same time, the project needed to maintain separation from occupied areas and reduce uncontrolled exposure to exterior conditions.
Think about what's happening on either side of that boundary.
On the construction side:
Crews, equipment, structural work, debris, changing weather, and exposed areas.
On the hospital side:
Patients, healthcare staff, occupied spaces, and ongoing operations.
Those two environments may be physically close.
They shouldn't become the same environment.
That's where construction site containment and temporary enclosure planning become part of the construction strategy.
Mayo Clinic Didn't Use the Same Temporary Protection for Every Phase
This is what makes the Mayo Clinic project particularly useful as an example.
The team didn't select one temporary product and expect it to solve every problem from the beginning of construction through winter.
They planned protection around the actual construction sequence.
Early on, the priority was immediate containment around the area where the existing façade was being removed.
Later, the priority shifts toward longer-term environmental protection as colder weather arrives.
Different phase. Different conditions. Different protection requirements.
That's a smarter way to think about temporary construction protection.
Instead of asking:
"What temporary wall should we use?"
Ask:
"What does the project need this temporary system to do during this phase?"
Phase One: Create Containment Before Façade Removal
For the first phase at Mayo Clinic, scaffold wrap was installed around the active work area.
The purpose was straightforward:
Create a temporary enclosure around the hospital expansion penetration before and during façade removal.
That provided a physical barrier around the work zone and helped contain construction debris while reducing direct exposure to wind and exterior conditions.
Crews could begin opening the existing building and performing work inside a more contained construction area.
That's an important distinction.
The project wasn't waiting for exposure and then reacting to it.
The containment was part of the plan before exposure occurred.
Why Construction Site Containment Matters More in an Occupied Hospital
On a typical unfinished building, construction site containment may primarily be about protecting the work.
At an active hospital, there's another side to consider.
The space next to construction isn't empty.
People are using it.
That's why temporary containment needs to be planned around both the construction activities and the adjacent environment.
Before opening an occupied healthcare facility, contractors should be thinking about questions such as:
Where will the existing façade be removed?
What occupied areas are nearby?
How will the construction area remain separated?
How will debris be contained?
How will crews and materials access the work zone?
How long will the opening remain?
What weather will the project experience during that period?
Will protection requirements change as construction progresses?
Those decisions help determine what type of temporary construction enclosure the project actually needs.
Then the Season Changes
A system that works for one construction phase may not provide everything needed later.
That's especially true when a hospital expansion crosses seasons.
At Mayo Clinic, the initial concern was creating immediate containment while the existing façade was opened.
As the project moves toward winter, the environmental challenge changes.
Temperatures drop.
Wind becomes more significant.
Heat can escape through exposed construction areas.
Snow and precipitation create additional exposure.
The project needs longer-term temporary weather protection for construction.
That's where RWES enters the protection strategy.
The plan includes transitioning to RWES before winter to provide a more robust enclosure around the exposed work area.
Don't wait for winter to tell you the protection you planned for summer isn't enough.
How Do You Protect a Hospital Construction Project Before It's Fully Enclosed?
This is one of the most important questions on phased healthcare construction projects.
Permanent walls, glazing, windows, and doors may not all be complete when other work needs to continue.
A temporary construction enclosure can protect exposed floors, openings, penetrations, building perimeters, and work areas during that gap.
RWES creates a reusable barrier against rain, snow, wind, and changing exterior conditions.
It can also be removed, relocated, and reconfigured as construction progresses, making it useful for multi-story and phased hospital construction.
And when speed matters, RWES can enclose approximately 15,000 square feet per day with a four-person crew.
The faster an exposed area can be protected, the sooner the project can establish more controlled conditions behind it.
A Weather Enclosure Protects More Than the Opening
It's easy to think about construction weather protection as something that simply keeps rain or snow outside.
That's only part of its value.
Consider what may be happening behind that opening.
Interior work.
Materials.
Equipment.
Scheduled trades.
Inspections.
Connections to occupied areas.
Work that needs to happen before the permanent exterior is complete.
A properly planned weather enclosure helps reduce environmental exposure around all of it.
Because a weather interruption doesn't necessarily end when the rain stops.
If one activity is delayed, another trade may be waiting behind it.
An inspection may move.
A milestone may shift.
The next phase may depend on the current work finishing on time.
Protecting the work area helps protect what comes next on the schedule.
What Happens When Wind Becomes the Problem?
An exposed hospital expansion doesn't only need protection from precipitation.
Wind can move through open building areas, disrupt working conditions, increase heat loss, and make maintaining a controlled environment more difficult.
RWES is a tensioned construction enclosure system designed for demanding construction environments and has withstood winds of more than 100 mph.
For projects where tighter enclosure performance is needed, RWES also offers vertical seam flaps designed to reduce gaps between panels and improve protection against wind, rain, dust, and debris.
The exact enclosure configuration should be engineered around the specific project and site conditions.
But the objective remains the same:
Reduce how much exterior conditions control the environment where construction is happening.
Can You Maintain Temperature Before the Permanent Exterior Is Complete?
A hospital expansion may reach colder or hotter weather before permanent glazing and exterior walls are finished.
A temporary enclosure can help contain conditioned air and reduce direct exposure to outside temperatures.
When additional thermal performance is needed, RWES can also be configured with temporary insulation.
Insulated configurations can provide approximately R-12 thermal performance, helping reduce heat transfer through the enclosure.
That can help create more consistent working conditions, reduce condensation, and improve crew comfort during extreme temperatures.
For hospital construction continuing through winter, that means contractors don't necessarily have to wait for the permanent building enclosure system before creating a more controlled work environment.
What If Crews Need Access Through the Enclosure?
Containment can't stop the job from functioning.
Crews still need access.
Materials still need to move.
Superintendents still need visibility into work areas.
RWES can incorporate integrated doors and viewing windows, allowing access, material movement, visibility, and site supervision without requiring crews to remove enclosure panels.
That's particularly valuable in active hospital construction, where maintaining defined boundaries between work areas and surrounding spaces may be important throughout multiple phases.
The enclosure should work around the construction plan.
The construction plan shouldn't have to work around the enclosure.
Can RWES Work With Scaffolding?
Yes—and this is particularly relevant to projects like Mayo Clinic.
RWES can be configured to work with scaffold systems for:
Building penetrations
Façade work
Exterior renovations
Multi-story enclosure
Weather protection
Active-facility construction
Scaffold enclosure can create a protected work area outside an occupied building while construction continues around the façade.
That makes it useful when a hospital needs exterior renovation or expansion work without shutting down operations inside.
What About Dust and Debris During Hospital Construction?
Weather isn't the only reason to separate an active construction area.
RWES can also support interior applications including:
Dust and debris containment
Occupied-building separation
Temporary walls and partitions
Corridor and walkway protection
Overhead drop protection
Restricted construction zones
Equipment and asset protection
Phased construction areas
The appropriate temporary wall for construction depends on the project's containment requirements, activities, occupied areas, access plan, and applicable healthcare or site requirements.
The enclosure is one part of the project's broader containment and infection-control strategy—it does not replace project-specific infection prevention procedures or healthcare construction requirements.
Safety Still Has to Work Around the Opening
Opening the side of a building can also introduce perimeter and leading-edge hazards.
That means construction safety needs to be considered alongside temporary enclosure planning.
RWES Guardwalls can combine enclosure with fall protection and leading-edge protection, allowing contractors to coordinate certain perimeter-protection needs with their weather enclosure.
RWES Guardwalls are designed to exceed applicable OSHA 1910.29 guardrail requirements.
The project's overall jobsite safety program, site-specific hazards, applicable regulations, and required construction fall protection systems still need to be addressed by the appropriate safety professionals.
But the enclosure and perimeter protection can be planned together rather than automatically becoming two completely unrelated temporary problems.
Temporary Protection Should Change as the Project Changes
Hospital construction isn't static.
An opening that exists today may be closed three months from now.
A new floor may become exposed.
Permanent glazing may be installed.
Scaffolding may move.
Another connection may need to be opened.
That's where reusability becomes important.
RWES is reusable and reconfigurable, so panels can be removed, relocated, and used again as construction progresses.
RWES is also Cradle to Cradle Certified.
Instead of purchasing a temporary solution that only serves one opening or one phase, contractors can plan how the system will continue providing value as the project changes.
Protect this phase. Move it. Reconfigure it. Protect the next.
You Don't Have to Install RWES Yourself
Contractors can choose the installation approach that fits their project and workforce.
Supply Only
RWES delivers the complete system for your crew to install, supported by detailed shop drawings and virtual assistance.
Supply With Lead Hand
RWES supplies the system and sends an experienced lead hand to guide your crew on site.
Supply & Install
For a turnkey option, RWES handles delivery, installation, and teardown.
That gives contractors the flexibility to decide how much of their own workforce they want dedicated to the enclosure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best temporary wall for separating hospital construction from occupied areas?
The appropriate temporary wall for construction depends on the project's containment, environmental, access, and safety requirements.
RWES can support occupied-building separation, temporary walls and partitions, dust and debris containment, corridor protection, restricted work zones, and phased construction areas.
Doors and viewing windows can also be incorporated when controlled access or visibility is required.
Can construction continue before windows and exterior walls are installed?
Yes. A temporary building enclosure system can protect exposed areas while permanent exterior components are still being completed.
RWES can enclose building perimeters, floors, penetrations, scaffolding, and other openings so scheduled work can continue in more controlled conditions before the permanent exterior is finished.
Can a temporary construction enclosure be moved?
Yes. RWES is reusable and reconfigurable.
Panels can be relocated between openings, floors, elevations, work zones, and construction phases as the project progresses.
Can a temporary construction enclosure open for large equipment?
Yes.
RWES can be configured around equipment and material access requirements.
On the Medpace 300 healthcare construction project, for example, RWES was configured as a retractable temporary construction enclosure at an expansion joint where crews needed weather protection but also needed to move large mechanical equipment, including AHUs, through the opening.
The enclosure could provide protection when closed and access when the opening was needed.
Can temporary construction enclosures be made more weather-tight?
Yes.
RWES offers vertical seam flaps designed to reduce gaps between panels and improve protection against wind, rain, dust, and debris.
This can be useful when the project requires a tighter enclosure for weather protection or environmental control.
Are temporary construction enclosures reusable?
RWES is specifically designed for reuse.
Panels can be removed, relocated, and reconfigured as construction progresses rather than being limited to a single opening or construction phase.
That can give contractors more value from the same enclosure throughout a multi-phase hospital construction project.
How do you know what temporary construction enclosure a hospital project needs?
Start with the project sequence—not the product.
Ask:
What is being opened?
What's on the other side?
How long will it remain exposed?
What weather will the project experience?
Does the work area need temperature control?
Will crews or equipment need access?
Does the enclosure need to work with scaffolding?
Will the system need to move later?
Are there perimeter-protection requirements?
Those answers help determine the enclosure configuration the project actually needs.
The Biggest Mistake Is Waiting Until the Hospital Is Already Exposed
That's the lesson worth taking from Mayo Clinic.
The construction team knew the façade needed to come down.
They knew the hospital needed to remain operational.
And they knew the project's protection requirements would change as winter approached.
So protection was planned around the construction sequence.
Scaffold wrap for immediate containment during the early phase.
RWES planned for longer-term construction weather protection as winter approaches.
The point isn't that every hospital expansion needs exactly the same combination.
It's that temporary protection should be planned with the same attention as the work creating the exposure.
Because once you've opened the building, it's too late to start wondering how you're going to protect what's behind it.
Plan the opening. Plan the containment. Plan for the weather. Then build.
Working on a hospital expansion, renovation, façade opening, or other active healthcare construction project?
Keep Reading: More Hospital Construction Insights
How Top Hospital Construction Teams Protect Active Facilities During Expansion
Explore how contractors can separate construction from occupied healthcare spaces while managing weather, temperature, access, and changing work zones.
One System. Fewer Problems to Manage During a Hospital Expansion
See how one flexible system can help manage several temporary construction challenges instead of treating each one as a separate problem.
The Early Construction Decisions That Can Protect a Hospital Project for Years
Learn why containment, weather protection, access, and changing construction phases should be considered before work reaches occupied areas.
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