Medical Center Building Three, Third Floor, Conversion to Medical-Surgical Telemetry
Client: University California at Irvine
Overview
This project was a complete rebuild and conversion of an existing psychiatric building into a medical-surgical unit. The new unit included 41 additional beds that combined private and semi-private rooms. The re-build also provided all ancillary services for the new unit, including nurse stations, medication rooms, clean/soiled utility rooms, equipment storage rooms, housekeeping rooms, IT/electrical rooms, staff locker rooms/restrooms, a staff lounge, physician sleep rooms, workrooms, and offices.
Constructed under the OSHPD Emergency Use Authorization, Align Builders worked side-by-side with architect, engineers, and major stakeholders to ensure the delivery of this critical space while meeting the demands of an accelerated schedule.
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Planning Process
Due to the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this project was deemed an emergency by UCI Health and was granted Emergency Use Authorization from the California Department of Public Health and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. As a result, construction began without drawing approval or a secured permit. With the design team integrated with the construction team on site, construction and design proceeded simultaneously. This project demanded seamless coordination between construction teams, the design team, and the owner. Given the accelerated schedule, close and constant coordination was key. Weekly all-hands meetings helped keep everyone on track, and Align Builders managed a BIM process to coordinate all overhead and in-wall components prior to delivery on-site.
It has been a pleasure from day one to work with Jesse and his team in this very delicate project building a new 16 patient bed unit with an ICU Unit above and a 24/7 Lab below. Still with these challenges in hand, Align Builder’s team has managed to come through as a well-organized professional team.
By Rodolfo Delgado – Construction Project Manager, University of California, Irvine Medical Center