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Case Study: Critical Environment

Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center

We won an open bid when the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs needed to update the lab and research wing of the Ann Arbor VA hospital. Handling the project from design to build, to implementing the new system, requiring adherence to strict regulatory compliance. This new system was to be done alongside decommissioning the existing system, zone by zone, to ensure air quality in occupied areas of the hospital.

Project Size$985K
Square Feet21,000
LocationAnn Arbor, MI
PartnerDeMaria
Contract TypeDesign Assist/Build
Architect--
ClientDepartment of Veterans Affairs

Challenge

We needed to completely replace the existing lab systems through the building's interstitial spaces and the corridors of each wing without disrupting or compromising areas of the hospital operating as normal, and most importantly, ensuring patient safety.

The design and pre-fabrication of system components needed to fit the project perfectly, and be delivered within a timeframe that held no room for error due to the presence of healthcare staff and patients onsite. It was critical that our team was efficient and reliable.

Solution

To ensure we had a thorough understanding of the project location and its challenges, we digitally scanned existing areas and systems to overlay them into our installation and design model. Our construction team staged out an installation schedule that incorporated downtime, created guidelines to protect the hygiene of adjoining areas, and built out a detailed plan for prefabrication and delivery.

By delivering the new system components to the hospital during off hours, staging and installing materials in designated and cordoned-off “quarantine zones,” we were able to install the new system with no unexpected setbacks.

Process

Scanning the existing building and systems to create a model overlay of existing conditions allowed us to create meticulous project plans and strategies for installation.

And with experience working with the Veterans Affairs Department, the United States Armed Forces, and on projects in the healthcare and critical environment sectors, we knew how to plan to avoid disruptions and compromising clean and sterile environments.

Results

We integrated the new system into the existing building and decommissioned the old system without any disruptions to the hospital's ongoing service.