Construction has reached the 70 percent completion benchmark on the new 279,000-square-foot Rady Children’s Hospital Patient Care Pavilion, the only dedicated child-specific medical center in the San Diego region.
Located in the heart of the city at 3020 Children’s Way, the new $260 million Rady Children’s Hospital Patient Care Pavilion is on track to become one of California’s first LEED certified OSHPD (Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development) healthcare facilities under strict guidelines set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Prominently visible from San Diego’s I-805, the Rady Children’s Hospital Patient Care Pavilion is situated on a 148,650-square-foot site at the southeast end of the hospital campus, adjacent to the existing Rady Children’s Hospital Rose Pavilion. A bridge will connect the existing facility to the new four-story building.
The Patient Care Pavilion will house a much-needed surgical center, 84 medical-surgical beds, a neo-natal intensive care center, and cancer center. The facility will have 16 operating rooms with associated support departments, a 28-bed hematology and oncology unit, 10-bed bone marrow transplant intensive care unit, 32-bed neo-natal intensive care unit, and 84 acuity adaptable medical surgery beds. Construction began in December 2007 and is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2010.
“Rady Children’s Hospital is committed to adopting green practices throughout its operations,” said Tim Jacoby, vice president of facilities for Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego. “The McCarthy team is successfully moving us toward our goal of becoming the largest children’s hospital in the state with a world-class, LEED certified facility.”
Not only will the Rady Children’s Hospital Patient Care Pavilion be one of the first LEED certified OSHPD facilities in California, it also will be one of the first LEED certified healthcare facilities within San Diego County. So far, only a few healthcare organizations in the region have applied to meet LEED requirements.
Designed by San Francisco-based architectural firm Ashen + Allen, the new Children’s Hospital Patient Care Pavilion features a glass-fiber reinforced, precast concrete exterior; dimensional travertine stone; storefront and curtain wall glass systems with colored accents; and metal panels, railings and canopies.
“McCarthy has a huge responsibility placed on them to carry through with construction of the facility’s sustainable design in a thoughtful, practical manner,” said Ashen + Allen’s Eric Lum, Ph.D, AIA, LEED AP, LEED project administrator. “They’ve been extremely diligent with the construction coordination.”
Building one of the first LEED designed OSHPD healthcare facilities in California is a job McCarthy has taken as seriously as the cause: fulfilling the increased demand for children’s critical care in the San Diego area. To knowledgeably address the LEED aspects of the project, McCarthy employed a dedicated LEED AP professional and, since the project began in early 2008, nine of the team’s members have become LEED APs.
The McCarthy team is targeting 20 percent below Title 24 requirements for energy efficiency. Other sustainable features include a reflective concrete “cool roof” that will minimize heat gain and control rainwater runoff; recycled and locally obtained steel, concrete and other building materials; low VOC-emitting paints, glues, carpet, and wood; water-efficient landscaping; natural light; high-efficiency air conditioning and mechanical systems; and a dedicated bicycle storage area. Nearly 80 percent of construction waste materials at the job site is being recycled.
In addition to providing outstanding indoor air quality, the design will maximize natural light and utilize high-efficiency air conditioning and mechanical equipment to provide sustainable, lower-overall life cycle operating costs that positively impact the ongoing operation of the hospital. The building also will feature a green roof system that will help control the rainwater run-off from the roof.
As a pediatric institution, the new Rady Children’s Hospital Patient Care Pavilion will provide an environment focused on the needs and imaginations of children. Central to the theme of the hospital are “Carley’s Magical Gardens”, a series of mythical healing gardens designed through the collaboration of artists T.J. Dixon, Kim Emerson, Albert De Matteis, and James Nelson.
Located on the second floor off the hematology and oncology unit, the primary healing garden will hold hidden clues that lead children to 12 golden eggs belonging to “Marisa, the Magical Bird”. When their search is complete, they can put their wishes into Marisa’s “golden locket”, where they later will be collected by staff to better understand the children’s thoughts and needs. “Carley’s Birthday Party”, featuring a life-size bronze figure of a young girl sitting at an eight-foot-long table holding her puppy, will be the centerpiece of the healing garden, and provide a place for organized activities as well as a gathering point for large families. Other whimsical objects include a mosaic tile and concrete tree house, bronze statue of “Digger the Dog”, playhouse with mechanical toys, privacy bench, performance stage, and interactive garden screens and gates.
A second landscaped healing garden for parents and siblings will be located on the first floor, off the main entrance. Visitors can meander down a pathway and over a wooden bridge, where they will be taken to a magical place with “Turtles Taking Tea at the Tidelands Fountain”, the “Court of the Frog King”, and a 17-foot mahagony and brass row boat complete with a ships wheel and throttle. The mosaic tile “River of Life” within the healing garden ties into the “Fountain of Life” wall in the lobby. Outside the main entrance will be two groupings of life-size painted bronze seals – one a mother with two cubs, the other four seals gleefully frolicking.
A third landscaped garden, located on the third floor, will feature a bronze dog with its puppies, interactive garden screens, and various sound elements. A fourth outdoor landscaped area on the first floor, named the Leichtag Family Healing Garden in honor of its donor, is intended for use by staff.
“Our construction team is inspired by the passion and commitment of the Rady Children’s Hospital staff to bring this project to life,” said McCarthy Executive Vice President Ron Hall. “We understand this is not just another construction project, but rather a life-saving mission on behalf of parents and their children.”
KPFF of San Francisco is the structural engineer; RBF, San Diego, civil engineer; Randall Lamb, San Diego, electrical engineer; Shadpour Consulting Engineers, San Diego, mechanical engineer; and Royston Hanamoto Alley & Abey of Mill Valley is serving as landscape architect.
McCarthy also performed design/build services for the adjacent 332,279-square-foot, 1,000-car parking structure including a podium deck to accommodate the new Ronald McDonald House.
About McCarthy
Founded in 1864, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies and has been ranked among the top five national healthcare builders by Modern Healthcare since the magazine began its annual ranking more than 30 years ago. The company provides general contracting, construction management, program management and design/build services for healthcare, education, parking, entertainment, retail, laboratory, biotechnical, microelectronic, and industrial facilities; green buildings; office buildings; tenant interiors; mixed-use; and bridges and highways. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.
