COAA-CA Webinar: Powering the Future of Healthcare: UC Irvine’s All-Electric Hospital Campus
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Event Details
What does it take to build the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital? Join Brian Pratt, Associate Vice Chancellor and Campus Architect at UC Irvine, for an inside look at the pioneering UCI Health — Irvine project, a zero-emission medical campus redefining what’s possible in sustainable healthcare design and operations.
This session will explore the architectural and engineering strategies behind the all-electric approach, from replacing traditional steam systems with distributed electric chillers and point-of-use generators, to addressing the power resilience and grid challenges unique to a 24/7 clinical environment. Attendees will gain insight into how UC Irvine balanced sustainability, patient care, and long-term operational reliability in designing this first-of-its-kind facility — and what lessons can be applied to other large-scale institutional projects.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the drivers behind UC Irvine’s decision to pursue an all-electric, zero-emission hospital and how it aligns with UC’s system-wide sustainability goals.
- Explore the design, engineering, and infrastructure strategies used to replace conventional steam and gas systems with fully electric solutions.
- Identify key challenges in ensuring reliability, redundancy, and grid resilience for an all-electric acute care hospital.
- Apply lessons learned from UC Irvine’s approach to integrating sustainable, scalable technologies in future healthcare and institutional projects.
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Meet the Presenter
Brian Pratt, AIA, DBIA, LEED AP is the Campus Architect and Associate Vice Chancellor for Design & Construction Services at the University of California, Irvine. Currently overseeing all major capital building projects, he leads the Design and Construction efforts for the campus delivering highly complex projects via design build. In his more than eleven-year tenure at UCI, Brian oversees all project types including UCI’s new all-electric hospital, research facilities, laboratories, active learning classrooms, dormitories and other highly technical projects. A graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, he has worked in the private and public sectors and serves on the Design Build Institute of America, Western Pacific Region Board of Directors and Executive Committee as the Owners’ Council Representative. Brian also served on the Board of Directors and as President of the American Institute of Architects, Orange County. Brian is accustomed to working with complex projects and multiple user groups and his work has been recognized with several awards and recognitions. With sustainability as a priority, many projects have achieved LEED Platinum certification.