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66 Medical Construction & Design | SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2017 | MCDM AG.COM What if you could lease Class A medical facil- ity space at Class B offi ce building rates without sacrifi cing en- hancements? Well, The Polyclinic and its mechanical contractor, MacDonald-Miller, fi gured out how to do just that. The Polyclinic is a physician-owned, multi-specialty medical clinic with 17 locations in and around the Seattle, Washington area. When choosing a loca- tion, it takes a very strategic approach. First, an area where there is a need to be fi lled is selected and then it fi nds the most accessible location for physicians and patients. For its newest Northgate offi ce, The Polyclinic had its sights on a standard offi ce building located near a mall and a busy transit center. The fact that it was a Class B offi ce building meant lease rates would be signifi cantly lower than a Class A medical building. While the location was ideal, the build- ing's plumbing infrastructure was not. The challenge Offi ce buildings are designed to accom- modate cubicles and offi ces that contain computers and copiers. When it comes to plumbing, there usually is a stack of rest- rooms and maybe a kitchen area. The Polyclinic was building 130 exam rooms in 65,000 square feet of space. That space would include 114 exam sinks, 14 lavatory sinks and 14 toilets. An entire plumbing infrastructure would need to be built where one did not previously exist. The Polyclinic also wanted its space to change as needs changed. Medical facility improvements have a 20-25-year life expectancy, but come at a price. In fact, medical improvements can cost double, sometimes triple, that of standard offi ce improvements. For that reason alone, The Polyclinic did not want to see the Northgate location become ob- solete as the practice grows and changes. Considering that every change aff ects the plumbing infrastructure, a cost-eff ective, fl exible solution was crucial. Raw space to state-of-the-art medical clinic in three months The Polyclinic turned to its mechanical contractor, MacDonald-Miller, to come up with a better solution. MacDonald-Miller had heard of the AcornVac vacuum plumb- ing system and thought it might be exactly what was needed. They could easily install the system at a lower cost and in a much shorter timeline than a gravity system. Additionally, there would be no disruption to other tenants in the building, because it would be entirely contained in The Polyclinic space. The construction process required no invasive fl oor cuts or core drilling. The system would also provide the fl exibility desired by the clinic. Steve Amann, project executive at MacDonald-Miller, said the short timeline and reduced cost was due to three major factors. First, installing the backbone systems and overhead takes less time than a gravity system. Second, they were able to eliminate slab and trench work. Third, they reduced overtime costs because they didn't have to work around other tenants' schedules. The Polyclinic Northgate Plaza opened June 13, 2016 and is a multispecialty hub in north Seattle that will accommodate long- term growth and provide more consoli- dated and comprehensive services. Amann feels the new facility is an excellent economic case study for other healthcare providers. It demonstrates the ability to take advantage of standard offi ce building lease rates, which are 20-30 per- cent lower than medical offi ce buildings. For more information, visit acornvac.com. applications, case studies & best practices AcornVac serves as money-saving secret for Seattle-area clinics Plumbed to Perfection s Products From top: The Polyclinic Northgate Plaza in Seattle, Washington features upgraded exam and treatment space designed for effi cient patient care and fl ow. > Offi ce buildings are designed to accommodate cubicles and offi ces that contain computers and copiers. When it comes to plumbing, there usually is a stack of restrooms and maybe a kitchen area. PLUMBING