State-Of-The-Art Construction Respects Historic Design

Koi ponds and the gentle sway of Monterey Pines surrounding the Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula (Community Hospital) compound belie the challenges posed by the multi-phased expansion project now underway at the 40-year-old hospital located in Monterey. Starting in 2001 with the new construction of a parking garage in front of the existing hospital and continuing throughout the extensive underground piping installation project, CMI has worked hard to create the refuge for patients envisioned by Community Hospital while keeping construction site impact to a minimum and adhering to special site requirements from the California Coastal Commission and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD).

Now, well into the third phase of the project, with the construction of two, three-story 100,000 square foot buildings, CMI is working harder still to provide value-added solutions to tough design challenges while building an HVAC system that meets and exceeds stringent hospital building requirements.

When complete, the new Forest and South Pavilion buildings will provide the hospital with eight new operating rooms, 10 intensive care patient rooms, 10 critical care patient rooms, six isolation rooms and more than 120 new patient beds as well as nurses' stations and room for clinical care support offices. Both poured-in-place concrete buildings have been carefully designed with the same molded panels inscribed with the Community Hospital logo to match the existing building, and will eventually provide a seamless integration between the old and new wings.

"It was important to the owners that the new construction did not stand out from the original hospital," explains Vijay Singh, CMI project manager. Vijay says this consistency was also important for the interior of the building. "Floor heights needed to be the same so that there was a smooth transition between the buildings."

Matching the existing hospital's floor plan brought about one of the greatest challenges faced by the design/assist team. Recreating the historic design meant a tight fit for the HVAC systems throughout the two buildings. For example, on the second floor of the South Pavilion there is less than 9 feet 6 inches from slab to bottom of deck leaving only 8 to 16 inches of above ceiling clearance. These space constraints are dramatic considering 16-foot slab to deck heights are common for new hospitals.

"The technology and building codes are much different now then they were when Community Hospital was originally built," explains Andrew Rooney, CMI project engineer. "Usually you have about 2 to 3 feet of clearance for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, security and fi re systems to share. Here, we are basically trying to fi t a modern system into the same space they utilized in 1960."

Pressurized rooms, HEPA filters, humidifi ers, and increased safety features are just a few of the modern HVAC features that now complicate hospital systems. Time and technology have brought major changes to the hospital equipment industry as well. "When the original building was designed there was very little consideration given to mechanical systems," states Tim Westjohn, CMI general foreman. Finding room for all of the latest technology and the systems that support it is a little bit like working on a giant jigsaw puzzle.

Not only is the design complex, the installation also needs to be fail-safe. During an earthquake or other disaster, the hospital becomes one of the most important buildings in the community. Since the HVAC system supports the basic operations of the facility, its functionality in the wake of an emergency is paramount. Increased bracing and back-up emergency systems are standard aspects of a modern hospital's HVAC design.

The hospital's dual chilled water plant is another new feature that CMI was instrumental in designing. CMI engineers suggested the new plant after they reviewed the owners' original plans to retrofi t their existing plant. Upgrading the original system to meet the needs of the new buildings was going to be both expensive and risky considering the hospital's ongoing operation.

"Since this project included ground-up construction, it was far more cost effective for the client to build a new plant that is specifically designed to meet the needs of the new space," explained Kailasam Senthil, CMI project executive. Kailasam says CMI provided a natural fi t for this design-assist project. "The team was pro-active from the very beginning of this project, which has paid off in the later phases of construction."

Another cost-saving upgrade to the original plan was the installation of the co-generation plant. When Community Hospital discovered that a rebate issued by PG&E would offset the cost of installing the plant and provide long-term energy savings, they didn't hesitate to make the change. The co-generation plant will take the hot water used to cool the cogeneration equipment and recycle it into the buildings' heating system. CMI installed six-inch supply and return piping across the rooftop of the existing building to transfer the hot water between the cogeneration room and the boiler room. Utilizing the already hot water means the boilers will operate less to heat the buildings.

The Community Hospital project has been a great first major project for Andrew, who has spent two years at the site. "Every day is something new," he says. "By the end of this project everything else will seem like a breeze." Andrew attributes CMI's success on the job to the crew's constant communication efforts.

Standing on the roof near the lineup of HVAC equipment, Vijay agrees that communication is an integral part of a project of this size. "This is really a combination of many projects." Vijay explains that the variety is what he likes best about working at the site. He says his nine years of experience at CMI help him deal with the daily challenges at Community Hospital. "The setting is nice too," he says with a smile. "I like what they are doing here. They really take the approach of focusing on the healing aspect." Vijay also commends the owners' efforts to keep their patients well insulated from the construction. "It feels more like a resort, than a construction site," he says pointing down through the lobby skylight at the bright orange fish swimming in the pond below.

From the meticulous concern over the hospital environment to the careful attention paid to the design and construction process, it is obvious that Community Hospital retains the highest regard for its patients. CMI is proud to be part of a project so important to future generations of Monterey County.