McCarthy Building Companies’ employees Sole Alofaituli, Richard Sprague, Jason Carothers and Bob Morris were part of a team of 30 volunteers from various companies who completed a home makeover for a Los Alamitos family in need.

McCarthy Heart Hat’s employee volunteer group from McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. of Newport Beach, Calif. recently completed a home makeover for a Los Alamitos family in great need of assistance.  Over 22 subcontractors donated supplies and services along with McCarthy Heart Hats to conduct the home remodel valued at approximately $80,000.

Matt, Elissa and Hailey Horan in front of their home that volunteers from McCarthy Building Companies and 22 local subcontractors renovated after learning the family needed their assistance.

Long time Los Alamitos residents, Elissa and Matt Horan have experienced a great deal of hardship over the last few years. Matt was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three years ago and Elissa was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. She recently completed 12 months of chemotherapy and is now undergoing radiation treatment to fight the cancer. Matt and Elissa have four children—Vanessa, Carrie and Dylan are over 17 years old and Hailey is just 2 years old.   Both Carrie and Hailey live with Matt and Elissa.

“The Heart Hats learned about the Horan family from Yvonne Hernandez, the owner of Helping Hands Cleaning, who participates in Cleaning for a Reason (http://www.cleaningforareason.org), a non-profit cleaning service providing free professional housecleaning, and maid services to improve the lives of women undergoing treatment for cancer,” said McCarthy project secretary Mary Jo VanAlstine.  “After hearing about the plight of the Horan family and visiting them, we knew we had to offer some immediate assistance.”

Horan home team leaders Mary Jo, McCarthy secretary Dana Greaney and office manager/director of community services Linda Osborn along with project superintendent Steve Proffitt began soliciting McCarthy volunteers and donations of labor and supplies from their business partners.  Within just three weeks, the Heart Hats had obtained over $1,700 in cash donations and enough labor and supplies to provide a significant home makeover.

“When Mary Jo told me about the plans for our home and what she was about to launch, I was flabbergasted and just cried,” said Elissa Horan. I thought, things like this don’t seem to happen, but still my prayers were answered. To this day, it is still unbelievable.”

Elissa and Hailey Horan along with and Carrie Hirn-Horan in their kitchen that was just remodeled with donations of supplies, appliances and labor by volunteers from PCI, McCarthy Building Companies and interior designer Tammie Smith.

Additional donations included: a new Kenmore oven range from RW Smith; furniture and funds from volunteer Peggy Schlemmer and Chartreuse Home Furnishing; appliances and funds for a new children’s bedroom set, kitchen cabinets and the bathroom vanity from McCarthy employees; a new garage door from PJHM Architects, UCMI Inspection and GSO Overnite; mobile mini storage from Day Construction; lumber from JB Lumber; concrete for exterior landscape from J&M; a dumpster from Southern California Environment; lodging for the family from Ayres Hotel and cash donations from AO Reed, GSO Premiere, Martin Integrated and Seeley Bros.

“We were overwhelmed and grateful to the support received from the subcontracting community and suppliers within our short timeline,” said Mary Jo. “Elissa and Matt are such wonderful people. Even through all of their hardships, they are still joyful and optimistic. We hope our efforts help to ease some of the day-to-day burden for Elissa and Matt. Seeing the smile on little Hailey’s face when she went into her new pink Dora themed room definitely touched my heart.”

Upon completion of the project, Elissa, Matt and Hailey explained what the remodel will do for their family and expressed their gratitude to the volunteers. “It’s like living in a new house,” said Elissa. “The plumbing and everything works.  I love my new kitchen and being able to take a shower in my master bath is incredible. The whole remodel is amazing, and I’m sure my healing process will go better now.”

Two year old Hailey Horan enjoys her new bedroom set and bright pink room that was remodeled by volunteers from McCarthy Building Companies and local subcontractors.

About McCarthy Heart Hats
The McCarthy “Heart Hats” community involvement program is dedicated to encouraging, supporting and recognizing McCarthy employees’ volunteer efforts in a variety of causes to ensure real needs are being met in communities where employees work, live and play.  McCarthy employees are as passionate about building better communities as they are about construction. In addition to recognizing outstanding employee volunteers and providing a company-wide paid volunteer day, McCarthy “Heart Hats” donates countless hours of in-kind services and monetary contributions to improve communities each year. Founded in 1864, McCarthy is one of the nation’s largest construction firms. In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned.  More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

Former Mayor and current council member Frank G. Fry spoke during the ceremony along with McCarthy Project Manager Blaze Bartoli. The event was both a thank you to the contractors and a tribute to the progress made thus far. The Chief of Police Andy Hall, Captain Mitch Waller, Captain Ron Coopman and Sgt. Brian Carpenter were in attendance along with several other dignitaries from the city of Westminster, construction workers and project consultants.

During the topping out event, the final steel beam was signed by event guests and an American flag and evergreen tree were attached to the beam before it was lifted and secured to the top of the police headquarters structure. Marking the mid-way point in the life of a construction project, the topping out tradition of attaching a tree and flag to the final structural beam has been practiced by construction workers for over 1000 years. The tree represents growth, life and good luck during the project and for the building’s future occupants. The flag is displayed as a patriotic symbol that signifies the united effort by the project team to achieve a common goal.

Westminster City Mayor Margie L. Rice was unable to attend the event, but McCarthy arranged for the beam to be lowered and signed by her after the event. Mayor Rice said she was honored and excited to sign the beam and to be included in this project milestone for the Police Headquarters, which is part of the overall revitalization plan for the Westminster Civic Center.

The $65 million (development cost) police headquarters project includes construction of a 91,000-square-foot police building housing an upgraded 911 communications center, a new forensic lab, increased evidence storage capacity, an Emergency Operations Center, a Type I jail facility and administrative work space. The project also includes site work such as driveways, surface parking, a sallyport, landscape and fire access lane improvements.

On schedule for completion in May 2011, the police building was designed by AECOM of Orange, Calif. to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Requirements.

The Westminster Police Department Headquarters is one of three police facilities McCarthy is currently constructing in partnership with Griffin Structures. McCarthy is serving as construction manager and Griffin Structures in the program manager. The other projects include a 62,064-square-foot police station in Buena Park, Calif., and a 55,000-square-foot police station in Hesperia, Calif.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

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.

CCIP vs. OCIP: Which Comprehensive Insurance Program is Right for You?
by Bill Sharp, Vice President, Risk Management
With the size and scope of projects becoming larger every day, program sponsors (owners and contractors) are seeking alternative ways to address insurance needs, both from a coverage standpoint and a cost standpoint.

When the Hospital Board Says, “Build it Green!”
by John Kreidich AIA, LEED AP, Manager, Healthcare Services
Building green in the healthcare environment is here to stay. Well-chosen green building investments will yield benefits with either no additional cost or with a return on investment well within a hospital’s internal rate of return over the life of the improvements.

5 Questions to Ask Your Contractor About SAFETY
An Interview with Gary Amsinger, CSP, Corporate Vice President, Safety
In addition to simply keeping workers healthy and productive, strong safety execution reduces exposure for owners. Amsinger suggests that owners should ask, at the very least, these basic five questions of their prospective contractor.

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Soka University has invited university officials, local dignitaries and the entire design and construction team to attend the event.  Special guests will have the opportunity to sign the truss before it is lifted by a 300-ton crawler crane and secured to the roof of the Performing Arts Center. Students and visitors on the campus will also be able to witness the project milestone from the campus greenbelt which overlooks the construction site.

“Typically, a building tops out when the last structural steel beam is placed,” said McCarthy project manager Nate Ray. “However, the Soka Performing Arts Center has four massive roof trusses which span the width of the performance hall, so it seemed appropriate to celebrate the placement of the final truss. At 16.5 feet tall and 114 feet wide, these trusses are so large that they will be delivered at night with a California Highway Patrol escort.”

Junior Steel of Gardena, Calif. is the specialty contractor who will be conducting the placement of the roof trusses.  The process will begin on September 28 and will culminate during the event on September 29 at 12:30 p.m.

“We’re delighted to share this historic moment with our students, staff, faculty and community,” noted president Daniel Y. Habuki of Soka University.  “This is our chance to thank the hundreds of construction workers who have done such a good job that construction is ahead of schedule for our new 1000-seat Performing Arts Center.  We look forward to dedicating it in May 2011 as part of our 10th anniversary celebration for our  Aliso Viejo campus.”

McCarthy is serving as general contractor for the $73 million project which began in December 2008. The project includes construction of a three-level, 47,836-square-foot Performing Arts Center housing a reception lobby, support spaces and a 1,000 seat auditorium as well as a 48,974-square-foot Academic Building located adjacent to and providing support for the Performing Arts Center. The new four-level academic building will house 11 classrooms, 29 faculty offices, a 150-seat black box theater, four dressing rooms, a rehearsal/dance studio, musician warm-up spaces and other support areas.

Designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP of Los Angeles, the new buildings will provide visual continuity with the existing buildings and the Mediterranean hill town design theme of the campus. Built on a sloping site, the first level of both buildings will be at the same finish grade as the perimeter road that circles the University exposing only the south side of the structure. The Performing Arts Center and Academic Facilities buildings share a loading dock and locker room area which will connect the two buildings. Both structures are being built with a combination of a structural concrete and structural steel frame. The buildings’ exteriors will feature smooth plaster walls, travertine stone bands, aluminum curtain walls, clear glass glazing and clay tile roofs.

The project’s design and construction team are pursuing United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Certification for the buildings. In order to
achieve a lofty LEED rating, McCarthy is using sustainable construction methods throughout the project such as minimizing unrecyclable construction waste, maintaining proper indoor air quality and ensuring that the subcontractors install the specified “green” materials. Likewise, the design of these structures incorporates numerous sustainable and energy efficiency solutions. The academic building will feature operable windows, ceiling fans, displacement ventilation and radiant panels. The Performing Arts Center’s “green roof” and sunshade structure surrounding the lobby will use photovoltaic (solar) panels, and a bioswale will help manage storm water runoff. McCarthy is using building materials made from recycled content and that are locally extracted, processed and regionally manufactured. Additionally, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood and low emitting adhesives, sealants, paints, carpets and composite wood products will be incorporated in both structures.

Once completed in fall 2010, the new Performing Arts Center will serve the campus and South Orange County as a venue for lectures, assemblies, concerts and theater productions furthering Soka University’s role as a cultural center and place of community gathering.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies. The firm has been building in the education market for the last 50 years.  McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has introduced its new ‘green’ client newsletter, Insights That Build^SM.  It’s all part of the company’s goal of Leaving Green Footprints^®, a 10-year old program aimed at reducing McCarthy’s carbon footprint.  The first electronic edition includes valuable thought-leading content including:

How to get the best final cost on your next project
by Mike Bolen, Chairman and CEO
‘Conventional wisdom’ says that owners can’t have it all. In fact-by taking the right approach-you can turn an old saying into a smarter strategy: ‘Good, fast and cheap: pick all three.’

Design management – why owners get a better result
by Jim Mynott, Director of Design Management
In this economic climate, execution time from proposal to start of construction can be a deciding factor for project funding. A design management approach can help—and it maximizes other owner advantages.

Five things you should ask your contractor about quality
by Chad Dorgan, Vice President, Quality
There are few words in construction that are more used – or more misused – than the word “quality.”  To understand what it means to YOUR construction project, you and your contractor need to talk.

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Readers can also view region-specific content by selecting from the drop down menu titled ‘Other Regional Editions’.  These include Southern California, Northern Pacific, Southwest, Nevada/Utah, Texas, Central, and Southeast editions.

“We are thrilled to begin construction on our new state-of-the-art hospital facility,” said Greg Christian, executive director of Kaiser Permanente’s Fontana and Ontario Medical Centers. “We are building the new facility to provide our members with state-of-the-art medical services and to meet the new, more rigorous seismic safety standards established by the state of California. Once completed, our new hospital will be one of the largest and most innovative healthcare facilities in the Inland Empire.”

Serving as the general contractor for the $430 million (construction cost) project, McCarthy’s contract entails construction of a new member and doctor parking lot as well as the relocation of utilities prior to constructing a 323-bed, 481,000-square-foot hospital, a 50,000-square foot hospital support building and a 23,000-square-foot central utility plant. To comply with the seismic requirements imposed by California SB 1953, the new seven-level hospital features a plaster and curtain wall exterior with a structural braced-frame core. McCarthy has been constructing the parking lot and preparing the site for construction of the replacement hospital since October 2008.

The new hospital is being built just 25 feet away from the existing hospital and 70 feet away from other operational medical facilities. “Building a major hospital facility on an extremely tight site surrounded by an operational medical center will take a great deal of planning and coordination,” said McCarthy Project Director Stephen Green. “To minimize disruption to the existing facilities, McCarthy will collaborate closely with hospital administration and project subcontractors and suppliers. We will also utilize ‘just-in-time delivery,’ stage materials off-site and shuttle construction workers in from a remote parking area.”

Scheduled for completion in December 2012, the new hospital will house a variety of specialty services including a cardiac surgery department, a 51-bed emergency department, pediatric and neonatal ICU, inpatient dialysis unit, pediatrics, ICU, labor and delivery, cardiac cath lab and surgery. The hospital support building will be attached to the hospital and includes medical offices, radiology, a pharmacy and a specialty clinic.

McCarthy will incorporate sustainable building methods throughout the project such as recycling building materials, minimizing unrecyclable construction waste and maintaining proper indoor air quality. Likewise, HMC’s design of these structures incorporates numerous sustainable and energy efficiency solutions. The project’s environmentally conscious features include energy efficient lighting, electrical, air conditioning and plumbing systems; use of reclaimed water for landscaping and cooling towers; light colored sustainable roofing; dual pane exterior window glazing and natural day lighting.

The Fontana Medical Center project is one of three Kaiser Permanente medical centers for which HMC has led a design collaboration effort with two other architectural teams. The other two projects will be built in Anaheim and Hayward/San Leandro.

“Although the project is a part of Kaiser’s innovative hospital template system and has a similar design to other Kaiser facilities that have already been built, the Fontana project has some unique design challenges,” explained HMC Principal in Charge Chin Lee. “We have developed solutions for integrating the new buildings with the existing structures within a constrained, sloping site and maximizing pedestrian safety and way-finding.”

“In order to deliver this complex healthcare project on time and on-budget, McCarthy, HMC and the project’s key subcontractors are utilizing the design-assist delivery method to complete the project design documents,” said Green.  As a part of the design-assist effort, the project team is utilizing building information modeling (BIM) coordination technology to manage the project’s complex structural, architectural and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

“Design-assist delivery and BIM coordination allow the construction and design team to ensure the design is complete and buildable at the project outset, which in turn streamlines the project schedule by mitigating design revisions and increasing field efficiency,” said Green.

Additional project consultants include: structural engineer Saiful Bouquet and mechanical engineer TeddJacobs Engineering Group. The design-assist subcontracting team is Herrick Corp, Sharp Interiors, Berger Bros, Tower Glass, Swisslog, Cosco, Southland Industries and SASCO.

About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America’s leading integrated health plan. Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California Region is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program headquartered in Pasadena, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 3.3 million Southern California members from Bakersfield to San Diego. It encompasses the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California Region includes more than 47,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 5,200 physicians representing all specialties. More information about Kaiser Permanente can be found at www.kaiserpermanente.com.

About HMC Architects
Throughout its history, HMC Architects has established a reputation as an award-winning design firm and thought leader for healthcare, education, and government facilities. Founded in 1940, HMC is one of the most prominent planning and design firms with offices strategically located throughout the west. To learn more about HMC Architects or to arrange interviews with the firm’s executive leadership, please contact Tracy Black at (800) 350-9979.

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 education, healthcare, 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.

The coveted Bronze “Constructor” sculpture was presented to McCarthy on April 4 during the AGCC Twenty-Second Annual California Constructor Awards program held at the Marriott Newport Beach Hotel & Spa in Newport Beach, Calif. McCarthy was one of six companies among 30 entries in six categories that received a Constructor Award. Over 280 California construction industry professionals were in attendance at the black tie affair, which recognizes “the best the best” AGCC members’ achievements for their skill, unique undertakings and ability to address the most difficult challenges contractors encounter.

The Ronald McDonald Family Room inside CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital extends the services provided by  the Orange County Ronald McDonald House^® (OCRMH), which offers inexpensive, and often free, lodging to families while their children undergo treatment for serious illnesses and injuries at nearby medical facilities.

The $300,000 project, which began on August 25, 2008, included demolition and reconstruction of two sleep rooms, a kitchen area and family room. Contractors gutted the space and installed new lighting, drywall, carpeting, ceiling tile, casework and paint.  Once construction was completed in December 2008, the renovated space was furnished with new chairs, couches, lamps, toys, books, artwork and an existing 42 inch flat panel television. McCarthy Building Companies also donated two new computers for volunteer and visitor use.

With architectural design by RBB Architects Inc. of Los Angeles and interior design provided by Correy Design Group of Huntington Beach, the renovated Family Room predominantly features wood cabinetry that divides the space into different areas for volunteer activity, dining, watching television, computer use, relaxation and children’s activities.

McCarthy volunteers helped with the project through the McCarthy Heart Hats Program, a volunteer community outreach effort that enables McCarthy employees to dedicate time and resources to community involvement on paid workdays.  Through its relationship with subcontractors and vendors, McCarthy was also able to secure additional volunteers and donations from companies such as Appolo Electric, ISEC Inc., PCI, Martin Integrated, Hasson Inc., Johnson and Turner Painting, Premier Tile and Minka Group. RBB architects, KPFF Engineering and Correy Design group also donated services for this project. Ronald McDonald House additionally received donations for carpet and installation services from Shaw Carpet and Universal Flooring. All of the audio visual and sound equipment were donated and installed by Genesis Audio.

Since 2006, the Heart Hats have provided construction and other services and donations to six Ronald McDonald Houses or facilities in California. McCarthy, as well as many of the contractors and consultants involved in the Ronald McDonald House Family Room project, is an experienced healthcare builder currently constructing the new four-level Mission Hospital Patient Care Tower in Mission Viejo.

About McCarthy Heart Hats
The McCarthy “Heart Hats” community involvement program is dedicated to encouraging, supporting and recognizing McCarthy employees’ volunteer efforts in a variety of causes to ensure real needs are being met in communities where employees work, live and play.  A 100 percent employee-owned company, McCarthy employees are as passionate about building better communities as they are about construction. More information is available on line at www.mccarthy.com.

McCarthy Office Manager Linda Osborn spearheaded this effort after she read an article in the Daily Pilot about the Rescue Mission being in dire need of donations and food. The article’s focus was to “Give a little bit of love to the Village of Hope” this Valentine’s Day.

Osborn said, “The article made me think about Valentine’s Day in a different way this year considering the state of our economy and the number of people out of work.” She decided to act on her feelings and began a campaign to collect food and supplies from McCarthy employees.

Osborn told the employees that in addition to giving to loved ones this Valentine’s Day, to also show some love to those less fortunate by giving them much needed food and other necessary items. She arranged for a drop-off spot in the McCarthy lobby and the Heart Hats willingly began filling the area with various canned food, dry goods and other needed items such as baby diapers, toothpaste and toiletries. She also urged jobsites outside of Orange County to set-up food drive locations at their jobsite trailers to support their local Rescue Mission.

“There are a lot of people right now that need our help, and we are extremely thankful to be in a position to give to those less fortunate,” said Osborn. “Seeing so many coworkers helping the needy at the Rescue Mission was definitely a heartwarming gift for me to receive on Valentines Day.”

More information about The Orange County Rescue Mission can be found at www.rescuemission.org.

About McCarthy Heart Hats
The McCarthy “Heart Hats” community involvement program is dedicated to encouraging, supporting and recognizing McCarthy employees’ volunteer efforts in a variety of causes to ensure real needs are being met in communities where employees work, live and play. Some of the past recipients of McCarthy Heart Hats efforts in Southern California include American Heart Association, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Kaiser Vallejo Hospital Community Clean-Up, Ocean Institute, Olive Crest Homes and Services for Abused Children, the Salesian Boys and Girl’s Club, the Salvation Army transitional housing Nancy Painter Home, and the San Diego Children’s Hospital and Health Center. McCarthy employees are as passionate about building better communities as they are about construction. In addition to recognizing outstanding employee volunteers and providing a companywide paid volunteer day, McCarthy “Heart Hats” donates countless hours of in-kind services and monetary contributions to improve communities each year.

Founded in 1864, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies.  McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned.  More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

The La Mirada High School expansion is one of three high school additions completed or underway as a part of the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District (NLMUSD) Measure S School Facility Improvement Program. Construction for the new classroom building and modernization of the administration building was completed in June 2008. Students were welcomed into the new classrooms when school started in September 2008.

Funded through the district’s $165 million Measure S bond approved by voters in November 2002, construction of the $8.7 million expansion was phased over 23 months on the busy La Mirada High School Campus.

Designed by Dougherty + Dougherty Architects of Costa Mesa, the new two-level classroom building at La Mirada High School adds 23,880 square feet of space to the existing campus. Located along the south end of the high school, the new wood-framed building with a light and dark blue-gray plaster skin is the most visible structure when driving into the high school campus. The crescent-shaped building houses eighteen classrooms within four distinct structures that are all connected by open air breezeways. Three courtyard areas on the building’s north side feature landscaping and planter seating where students can relax and gather between classes. 

In support of the new district-wide science program, the new building houses six new science classroom containing peninsula-like lab stations to accommodate students in their experiments, learning and research. The ADA compliant labs feature built-in casework, fume hoods, Epoxy-resin chemical resistant countertops, sinks, gas, power and high speed data connections. A separate science project preparation area for teachers and assistants was built between the classrooms, and energy efficient direct/indirect lighting is incorporated throughout the new building.

The project also included a 1,316-square-foot modernization of the school’s administration building. Construction entailed converting an existing, open atrium in the center of the building into new office space.

 Prior to starting the high school expansion, renovations of the existing building on the La Mirada High School were finishing up and completed for the September 2006/2007 school year. The modernization included “gutting” the interiors of the existing building and installing new flooring, wall and ceiling finishes. Additional improvements included new lighting, electrical, data, telephone, clock/bells, fire alarm, Cable TV and energy management systems as well as new heating and air conditioning units in all of the classroom and ancillary spaces.

“The students and teachers at La Mirada High School are excelling in the added classroom, science lab and support space provided by the Measure S Expansion project,” said NLMUSD Superintendent Ginger Shattuck. “The Measure S renovations and expansions have provided the students in our district with modern, efficient and comfortable learning environments that offer a more enjoyable educational experience and will surely aid them in their future academic pursuits.”

Operating as program and construction manager, McCarthy’s contract with NLMUSD includes planning, preconstruction, bid activities and management of scheduling and construction for the district-wide school facility modernization and expansion program.  Since 2003, McCarthy has completed more than 20 school modernization projects and two expansion projects for NLMUSD. The last Measure S project is expected to complete in early 2010.

About McCarthy
Founded in 1864, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies.  The company provides general contracting, construction management, program management and design/build services for education, healthcare, 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.