A team in sync

Denver-based JE Dunn Construction handled the construction segment of the MCR project, and worked in tandem with Heery to lay the necessary groundwork to be considered for possible LEED certification. “The motivating factors at work here were to be one of the few LEED hospitals in the United States, to provide a healthy working environment and to deliver an energy-efficient and sustainable facility,” says Mark D. Arnold, senior project manager at JE Dunn. “Most importantly, it was ‘the right thing to do!’”To that end, the team building began. “LEED Gold was the result of the entire team's commitment to green practices and sustainability early in the project. We were very involved in the process, participating in the initial LEED charretts and monthly progress meetings. We also lead informational Lunch & Learn programs on the LEED process as it related to the project. In addition, we were part of a quarterly newsletter that focused on the project and highlighted our LEED program,” Arnold says.

In an effort to further motivate their staff to go the distance in pursuit of the LEED certification, JE Dunn came up with innovative ways employees could participate in the overall process. “A major contributing factor towards LEED certification included the achievement of 75 percent waste diversion. To get the participation and awareness of the construction staff, t-shirts were designed with the logo ‘We Strive for 75 percent,’” Arnold says. “The t-shirts were awarded to field staff in recognition for following the process of separating trash in the proper manner. Receiving a shirt was a privilege!”

Going green, seeing green

In addition, other unique solutions were developed on both the design and construction fronts to further ensure the MCR project met LEED sustainability requirements. For instance, according to Arnold, 2,910 tons of recovered concrete and masonry was used to line an existing irrigation canal, thus establishing the south property line. “This ‘rip-rap’ helps to eliminate soil erosion for many years to come,” he says.

“We submitted and received four points in the Innovation in Design category,” Arnold says. “The points were based upon low-VOC furniture material and contents; the efficiency of the floor plan of the building; a study of the wind currents, prevailing winds; the multiple different smoke and exhausts that would or could be around the building, including helicopter fumes landing and taking off from the roof landing pad; and a EST system on the cooling towers.”

Supplementary green elements included daylighting in patient rooms, as well as traditionally dark operatory hallways; all patients at MCR have the option to open or close the window in their room; the facility faces the southwest to increase the amount of daylight that flows through its windows daily; and medical information is stored electronically in an effort to minimize paper usage by hospital staff.

While the perception might be that sustainability can be an expensive investment, MCR owners have already been paid back in part on their investment to go green based on energy usage totals. “Efficient design resulted in a reduced footprint that conserved materials. The facility uses 35 percent less energy than the average hospital of its size,” Sedmak says.

Fast-track status

While pursuing a LEED certification was certainly a priority for MCR's owners, a fast-track design and construction process was also agreed on by all parties involved with the project. “While most hospitals of this size and nature typically require five years to design and build, MCR was opened 3-1/2 years from its inception. This was due, in part, to the team's ability to construct the facility while design documents were still being completed. The entire project team was involved and committed to meeting the schedule, including the owner and construction forces. It was a great team effort,” Sedmak says.

To achieve a fast-track opening, the MCR project team was assembled and active very early in the process. “The PEC team had weekly meetings to assign tasks, and to ensure that outstanding items were being addressed. Early, detailed estimates, space studies, structural option studies and estimates, along with detailed schedules were provided to solidify the direction of the building materials, size and services. The first package, site work and utilities, was issued for bid in March 2004 with work beginning on May 5, 2004,” Arnold says.

Even “finishing” work outside of the facility itself was put on the fast track.

“Another bid package that was issued early on included a large piece of the landscaping work. This scope is typically issued later in the process, but issuing it earlier allowed us to almost immediately manage the storm water runoff into the three ponds that were constructed with by planting seeds and trees. By the time the project reached completion, the trees, shrubs and other plants had a two-year head start on growth and establishment,” he says.

Despite the accelerated project schedule, Heery was still able to incorporate valuable and unique design elements. “The design team's approach was to plan for the needs of patients and their families first, beginning with the patient rooms themselves,” Sedmak says. “To promote flexibility and to reduce the need for patient transfers, the decision was made to create larger than average patient rooms. The challenge in this and many other patient amenities was how to construct this larger room while maintaining budget and operational efficiencies.”

The fast-track process was successful in that MCR, often called the “hospital within a hospital”-housing both the Heart Center of the Rockies and the Trauma Center of the Rockies-officially opened its doors to serve its first patient on February 14, 2007. “Although the fast-track process created challenges at times with construction being started merely six months after the design process, the team worked diligently to resolve issues and keep the project on track,” Arnold says.

Moving forward

Gold LEED certification and fast-track opening aside, the MCR project team also seriously thought ahead to the facility's future in terms of how it could continue to successfully serve a growing tri-region area. “Rather than waiting for growth to happen, the team accounted for growth in the facility's master plan. The master plan and its external and internal circulation patterns are designed to allow for the horizontal expansion of all services without disrupting existing patient or central plant operations. When an expansion is completed, the facility will be able to accommodate 400 beds,” Sedmak says.

Thorough in their planning, the team behind the MCR used a “three-legged approach,” and as a result, stayed on task through the duration of the project, dealing with problems quickly to keep the project on time and on budget. “The goals of the team never changed, which allowed us to attack and resolve problems and challenges together. The ‘three-legged stool’ of the owner, architect and contractor was solid throughout the project. If one of the legs needed propping up, and we all needed it at some time, the other legs of the stool helped to shore it up. Of course there were lessons learned and things we would do different, however, at the end of the day, we all agreed that we would be very happy to do it all over again-together,” Arnold says. HBI