Project Overview
Mortenson is partnering with United Therapeutics to deliver an 80,000-square-foot Designated Pathogen Free Building in Stewartville, Minnesota. Designed to support the company’s pioneering xenotransplantation program, the facility features advanced biosecurity and MEP systems that enable the production of gene-edited donor organs, helping address the critical shortage of transplantable organs.
- Completion Date
June 2026
- Delivery Method
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General Contractor
United Therapeutics is tackling one of the most pressing healthcare challenges: the nationwide shortage of organs and organ donors. Starting with kidneys and expanding to the heart, liver, and lungs, their mission is to transform the future of transplantation. When they sought a partner to help bring that vision to life, Mortenson was ready.
As their building partner, Mortenson is delivering this highly specialized facility designed to support United Therapeutics’ xenotransplantation organ program. This facility is intended to raise 200 gene-edited pigs for xenotransplantation and produce about 125 organs annually.
To achieve this, the building integrates complex MEP systems to maintain stringent biosecurity and environmental controls. This highly specialized environment supports cutting-edge science and biomanufacturing, supporting United Therapeutics’ xenotransplantation program.
The team is collaborative and actively working to be the best. We are grateful to be working with such a high performing team.
Driving Flawless MEP Coordination
Coordinating complex MEP systems required precise Building Information Modeling (BIM) to align all trades and minimize clashes. With many partners involved, it is essential that the final installation matches the approved 3D model, as accuracy is critical to the facility’s performance.
Mortenson led an extensive BIM process, collaborating with trade partners to model every detail and develop a shared, approved framework. To verify installation accuracy, the team designed and printed a custom 3D jig that held two laser distance measuring tools. This allowed quick, two-directional checks, measuring both distance from the wall and height, so field installations could be directly compared to the BIM model.
The project team used Mortenson’s easy-to-use custom tool, delivering accurate, reliable data and ensuring quality installation. This gave them confidence in our commitment to doing things right the first time and upholding high standards of excellence.
End-User Benefit
End users include patients waiting for life-saving organ transplants. This facility:
- Reduces long wait times for donor organs.
- Provides an alternative to years of dialysis for kidney-failure patients.
- Increases the supply of transplantable organs.
Ensuring Quality Through Precision and Verification
Quality was maintained through a disciplined and collaborative approach that focused on precision, consistency, and continuous verification. United Therapeutics set an exceptionally high bar for construction precision and performance, requiring a consistent commitment to excellence and performance to meet or exceed these standards.
This approach incorporated owner and architect participation in initial inspections, including a mock-up of initial inspections, mock-up of first installations for every system and dedicated constructability reviews before field work began. The team also leveraged project equipment setup, enabling United Therapeutics to continuously monitor progress and quality execution. These practices ensure the facility is built for reliability, sterility, and long-term performance—critical for supporting the sensitive and highly specialized nature of the DPF program.
Mortenson does well at being present in the field and not just managing from afar/desk and being professional and accommodating to owner feedback/observations.
Proactive Planning for Schedule Certainty
Mortenson achieved an accelerated construction schedule to meet the objective of United Therapeutics’ xenotransplantation program. Schedule assurance was the largest project risk. To mitigate schedule uncertainty, the team implemented a procurement plan that was essential for maintaining schedule accountability among all project stakeholders. By anticipating needs and coordinating early, the project team ensured that resources were available when required. The team also re‑sequenced activities as needed to accelerate activities or mitigate any unplanned delays.
Mortenson uses an advanced scheduling analysis process that integrates directly with project schedules to identify high‑risk activities and evaluate the likelihood of potential issues arising during construction. This allows the team to allocate resources strategically and address risks proactively for critical activities. The result was greater cost and schedule predictability, reliability and further strengthening the high level of trust with United Therapeutics.