Medical Construction & Design

MAR-APR 2017

Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.

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20 Medical Construction & Design | M A RCH /A PR IL 2017 | MCDM AG.COM When it comes to healthcare design, today's providers want reduced costs and shorter construction time while still seeking high-quality materials and design aesthetic. One op- tion to explore is prefabricated exterior building envelopes. Especially when used in large hospital towers, prefabricated envelopes are made possible by contractor-integrated de- sign teams working together to answer client objectives. For example, take Torrance Memorial Medical Center's Lundquist Tower in California, which opened in 2014. The ex- pansion tower was conceived to have several skin types with elegant detailing. The project team worked together to devise an off site prefabricated skin, which achieved high- quality design and detailing at a lower cost, and saved six months on the critical path of construction. The development of the building envelope was accomplished through the "Design Assist" process, which included the architect and general contractor, as well as a structural engineer and specialty subcontractors. The envelope consisted of two distinct systems. A precast concrete panel system and glass/metal panel system. The precast concrete panel system was used on the southern exposure and the glass/metal panel system was used on the northern exposure of the tower. The southern exposure faced inward to the campus and the precast concrete was selected to blend the façade of the tower with the adjacent buildings. The glass/metal panel system faced outward toward the community and a more contemporary "iconic" expression was desired for this exposure. As the design progressed, the team provided valuable information on the detailing of various conditions, as well as alternative solutions that would achieve better results or best practices. Furthermore, the Design Assist team was able to provide input with respect to manufacturing and installation of the proposed design solution. Avoiding delays with collaborative eff orts As the design team was preparing the design docu- ments for agency approval, the Design Assist team was developing their shop draw- ings. The benefi t of this collaborative eff ort is a single approval process for the build- ing envelope in lieu of the deferred approval of the shop drawings during the con- struction phase. This avoided the potential schedule delay during the construction phase. With the single approval pro- cess, the Design Assist team was able to begin manufactur- ing the various components and assemble them into the fi nished panels earlier in the construction schedule. The distinctive benefi t of a Prefabricated envelopes deliver fl exibility to healthcare projects Spotlight Building Envelope BY GEORGE VANGELATOS & CHUCK EYBERG Torrance: David Wakely WORKING AHEAD HMC Architects and McCarthy worked together to devise an offsite prefabri- cated skin for Torrance Memorial Medical Center's Lundquist Tower in California, which achieved high- quality design and detailing at a lower cost, and shaved six months off the construction process. What's In With Skin

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