Project wins industry award for high-level use of Building Information Modeling
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., recognized as one of the nation’s largest builders of healthcare facilities, recently completed construction of the $153 million Patient Care Tower at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo. Built next to the existing Mission Hospital tower at the southeast corner of Crown Valley Parkway and Medical Center Road, the new four-level patient tower was completed ahead of schedule and opened on November 15, 2009.
The new tower features a patient-centered design along with next-generation advancements in healthcare technology and seismic building safety. The latest in advanced diagnostic and patient care services are housed within the 345-bed Mission Viejo campus including: 44 beds, advanced diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine, the Zimmer Neuroscience Wing, the Swenson Family Linear Accelerator Suite and the Schumacher Healing Garden. The expansion also includes a new chapel available to patients and visitors of all faiths 24 hours, seven days a week. The chapel was made possible by a $1 million commitment from the Auxiliary of Mission Hospital.
“After nine years of planning and two years of construction, Mission Hospital is now the diagnostically most advanced hospital in the country,” said Peter F. Bastone, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mission Hospital. “The tower was built to provide the future of healthcare to south Orange County, recognizing the diverse, growing needs of our community.”
Designed by RBB Architects Inc. of Los Angeles, the new Patient Care Tower’s award-winning architecture was created to promote healing for patients, a comfortable atmosphere for families and an enhanced state-of-the-art working environment for hospital staff. Some of the tower’s patient and family friendly highlights will include: private rooms, an expanded family area, dedicated sleep chairs for guests and wireless connectivity throughout the hospital.
McCarthy served as general contractor for the new tower as well as an underground tunnel and a 175-foot-long pedestrian bridge that connects the new facility with the main hospital building on the third floor. Prior to erecting the tower, McCarthy conducted 11 months of significant site work including the installation of new utilities, re-configuring the entrance to the hospital and parking lot and demolishing an existing two-story conference center.
The new Patient Care Tower utilizes a braced-frame structural system to reduce the size of the columns and beams and to provide superior seismic performance in compliance with California Senate Bill 1953, which requires strict seismic regulations for all acute care facilities. The main vertical systems such as elevators, stairs, mechanical and electrical shafts are positioned outside the braced floor area. These features maximize the floor-space and provide flexibility to accommodate current and future space needs.
The project features a chapel in a half-cylinder structure with an inclined roof supported from the top by radial trusses. Additionally, the Schumacher Healing Garden alongside the chapel includes sitting areas and lush landscape to evoke serene space for relaxation, prayer and meditation. The chapel and healing garden are strategically located between the existing tower and the new tower to invite easy access for the entire community and to emphasize the spiritual and holistic healing mission of the hospital.
The Tower’s exterior is composed of metal panel cladding and an exposed steel braced-frame conveying a sense of the highly technological, state-of-the-art activities contained within. A cascading fountain in the entry drive immediately creates a relaxing setting for patients and visitors driving up to and entering the hospital. Extensive glazing provides an abundance of natural light, promoting an uplifting and healing environment for patients and an enhanced working atmosphere for the staff.
“Constructing a high-tech hospital with complex mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems requires advanced design and construction skills,” said McCarthy Project Manager Todd Foos. “A critical component used to deliver this complex healthcare facility on-time and within budget, was Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology in which the team created virtual 3-D mock-ups of the complex, above-ceiling utilities, in-wall coordination for high congestion areas and on the tower’s unique building exterior in which structural members were located outside the envelope of the exterior skin. The use of 3D modeling proved highly successful in helping us visualize and resolve system’s clashes before construction began. As a result, the design and construction team coordinated approximately 125,000 square feet of MEP work nearly twice as fast as using traditional 2D coordination and avoided costly change orders on construction of the building exterior that could have valued over $2.5 million if BIM had not been utilized.”
The use of BIM on the Mission Hospital Patient Care Tower was so successful that St. Joseph Health System was awarded the Gold Constructech Vision Award for the project’s use of a high level of BIM detail modeling for the exterior skin of the building. The award is based on the use of technology to promote innovation within the construction industry. Vico Software of Boulder, Colorado worked with the facilities and design and construction team to implement BIM modeling for the building’s exterior.
“The St. Joseph Health System has been pioneering implementation of Building Information Management (BIM) on major projects over the last four years,” said Jim Bostic, AVP of Construction for SJHS. “The Mission Hospital Acute Care Tower was the first project to use the highest level of definition for modeling the exterior skin of the building. This required the modeling team to define every building element, which included structural members, metal stud framing, fireproofing, drywall and metal panels. As the reception of the 2009 Gold Constructech Vision Award attests, the team’s commitment to the modeling effort was successful in every regard, surpassing our expectations in both time and cost savings.”
About Mission Hospital
Mission Hospital provides south Orange County communities with access to advanced care and advanced caring through two convenient locations, Mission Viejo and Laguna Beach. Mission Hospital has been serving the greater needs of the community for nearly 40 years, improving the quality of life in the communities we serve. Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo is an acute care, full-service facility providing the most advanced healthcare services and diagnostic care to south Orange County. One of only three designated trauma centers in the county, the hospital offers 24-hour emergency care and specialized services through its Mission Imaging Center, Mission Heart Center, Mission Stroke Center, Mission Maternity Center and Mission Women’s Wellness Center. The hospital also offers the highest level of care in orthopedics, rehabilitation, cancer, spine and vascular services. Mission Hospital Laguna Beach’s healthcare services include 24-hour emergency, intensive and medical-surgical care as well as behavioral health and chemical dependency and chronic pain medicine abuse treatment. CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital, a separately licensed pediatric hospital on the Mission Viejo campus, serves as the only designated pediatric healthcare center in south Orange County. A member of the St. Joseph Health System, the 552-bed hospital is one of 14 not-for-profit hospitals sponsored by the St. Joseph Health Ministry. For more information, visit www.mission4health.com.
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.
