2012 Building Team Awards
Gold Award
Since the early 2000s, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has treated more than 200,000 Iraq- and Afghanistan-war veterans for post-traumatic stress disorder. The rate of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among U.S. forces has risen dramatically in the last decade as well, from 10,963 cases in all of 2000 to 30,380 just in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, named after the most decorated soldier of World War II, provides a place for this dramatically increasing number of wounded veterans to receive care. The Building Team—prime contractor Robins & Morton and joint venture design firms SmithGroupJJR and Marmon Mok—faced complicated site logistics and security restrictions, but still managed to come in under budget and produce a facility that meets the physical and psychological needs of the veterans it serves.
This hospital was the VA’s first project constructed under the so-called “Integrated Design and Construct” method, which teams the contractor with the architect and owner early in the construction process. The Building Team credits this collaboration with the facility’s month-early completion and $3.75 million cost savings. Although the project was not required to be LEED-certified, the team still implemented high-level sustainability.
At the project’s core were the hospital’s patients: veterans recuperating from multiple traumatic injuries, often including limb loss and TBI. The “Planetree” principle—which seeks to create a healing environment inspired by nature—was employed throughout the facility’s design.
Because many TBI patients are extremely sensitive to light and noise, the Building Team used indirect and accent lighting and equipped each bed with controls so every patient can individually adjust the levels. All windows diffuse natural light and are equipped with blackout shades. Working with acoustic noise consultants, the team used low-pressure diffusers and air ducts to minimize the sound of air rushing through the HVAC system.
The Building Team went beyond standard ADA requirements and handicap-accessibility considerations to incorporate tools that help patients rehabilitate. The facility’s physical therapy gymnasium is used to work on remobilization in everyday scenarios, such as getting around the kitchen and bathroom and walking up and down stairs. Tracks for patient lift systems run along the ceilings throughout the facility to allow patients to walk while tethered, improving their balance, strength, and autonomy.
The GAIT Study room features a high-tech flooring system that measures the pressure points and angles with which a patient walks, runs, and jumps to assess whether correction is needed. The VA was also able to use a portion of the project’s $3.75 million cost savings to install a terrain park in the building’s center courtyard that functions as a physical therapy tool, with pull-up bars, steps, and paths of different surfaces.
“It’s one thing to say that you saved money, but to get a clear amenity out of it is a sign of a great Building Team,” said Tim Brown, AIA, of Tim Brown Architecture and associate professor at IIT’s College of Architecture, Chicago.
Hurdles posed by site logistics were handled quickly and efficiently. The laydown area and construction-employee parking lot were a full mile from the job site, requiring bussing workers to and from every day and night. Only one delivery truck could be on site at a time and every piece of material had to be scheduled in advance.
Project summary
GOLD AWARD
Audie L. Murphy VA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center
San Antonio, TexasBuilding Team
Submitting entity: Robins & Morton (prime contractor)
Owner/developer: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Architect: SmithGroupJJR | Marmon Mok Joint VentureGeneral Information
Project size: 84,000 sf
Construction cost: $39.5 million
Construction time: August 2009 to July 2011
Delivery method: Integrated design and construct
Phase one of the project included some work underneath the hospital’s existing parking lot, which meant that, for six weeks, Robins & Morton had to schedule work during nights and weekends to eliminate disruption to the hospital campus. Moreover, when the team tried to tie in the existing hospital to the new facility, it discovered that the 40-year-old building’s precast was falling down. The contractor had to remediate this problem while making sure that the new structure didn’t look like an add-on.
The Building Team’s commitment to veterans was paramount throughout the project. When, arguably for security reasons, the VA wanted to put up an Internet firewall, the team, knowing how important access to social media via laptops and mobile devices is to the new generation of veterans, fought for and got access to the Web for patients.
Robins & Morton also exceeded its goals for construction subcontracts granted to small veteran-owned businesses, awarding 17% to them. It also granted 10% to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, 6% to small disadvantaged businesses, 5% to women-owned small businesses, 41% to small business enterprises and 21% to HubZone small business.
Building Team Awards judge Terry Fielden, LEED AP BD+C, director of K-12 Education at International Contractors Inc., said he was impressed with the way the design came to fruition: “There was a lot of collaboration, especially with the veterans’ needs in mind.” BD+C
--
Click here to view exclusive video interviews of the 2012 Building Team Awards judges explaining their selection.
Related Stories
| Jan 17, 2014
The Starchitect of Oz: New Gehry building in Sydney celebrates topping out
The Dr. Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology, Sydney, will mark Frank Gehry's debut project in the Australian metro.
| Jan 16, 2014
Construction spending for 2013 finishing 5% higher than 2012: Gilbane Construction Economics report
??Construction growth is looking up, according to the December 2013 release of the periodic report Construction Economics, authored by Gilbane Building Company. Construction spending for 2013 will finish the year up 5%.
| Jan 16, 2014
ASHRAE revised climatic data for building design standards
ASHRAE Standard 169, Climatic Data for Building Design Standards, now includes climatic data for 5,564 locations throughout the world.
| Jan 15, 2014
6 social media skills every leader needs
The social media revolution—which is less than a decade old—has created a dilemma for senior executives. While its potential seems immense, the inherent risks create uncertainty and unease.
| Jan 15, 2014
Report: 32 U.S. buildings have been verified as net-zero energy performers
The New Buildings Institute's 2014 Getting to Zero Status report includes an interactive map detailing the net-zero energy buildings that have been verified by NBI.
| Jan 14, 2014
Sherwin-Williams unveils colormix 2014
Drawing influence from fashion, science, nature, pop culture and global traditions, Sherwin-Williams introduces colormix™ 2014, which captures colors that inspire creativity and design in today’s world. The four-palette collection provides design professionals with a guide to help them define the moods they want to create and select colors for their projects.
| Jan 13, 2014
Custom exterior fabricator A. Zahner unveils free façade design software for architects
The web-based tool uses the company's factory floor like "a massive rapid prototype machine,” allowing designers to manipulate designs on the fly based on cost and other factors, according to CEO/President Bill Zahner.
| Jan 13, 2014
AEC professionals weigh in on school security
An exclusive survey reveals that Building Teams are doing their part to make the nation’s schools safer in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook tragedy.
| Jan 13, 2014
6 legislative actions to ignite the construction economy
The American Institute of Architects announced its “punch list” for Congress that, if completed, will ignite the construction economy by spurring much needed improvements in energy efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency, and create jobs for small business.
| Jan 12, 2014
CES showcases innovations: Can any of these help you do your job better?
The Consumer Electronics Show took place this past week in Las Vegas. Known for launching new products and technologies, many of the products showcased there set the bar for future innovators. The show also signals trends to watch in technology applicable to the design and building industry.