Suffolk Construction recently joined Baystate Health in celebrating the opening of phase one of its expansion and facility-replacement project at Baystate Medical Center. Located in Springfield, Mass., the $296 million, 641,000-sf new clinical facility houses a heart and vascular center as well as critical-care and inpatient rooms designed in collaboration with patients and families. Suffolk has already begun work on phase two, a new Emergency Department, which will triple the size of Baystate’s existing emergency room, one of the busiest in the nation.
The new MassMutual Wing features the Davis Family Heart and Vascular Center, which includes six cross-functional surgical/endovascular suites. Representing the latest in patient-focused design, a new 20-room CARE (Cardiovascular Assessment, Recovery, and Evaluation) unit allows patients undergoing outpatient procedures to go from pre-op to discharge in the same room, with the same nursing team. The facility also consists of 96 private inpatient rooms and 32 cardiovascular critical-care rooms.
Suffolk provided preconstruction and construction management services for the project, which is part of a 15-year master plan for the hospital—the largest medical facility in Western Massachusetts. The project is predominantly new construction, including multiple tunnels and bridges, with tie-ins to two existing buildings. Of the new construction, approximately 40% remains as shell space for future development. Suffolk maintained vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow while relocating sidewalks, utilities, and the hospital’s main patient valet entrance. Permanent and temporary earth retention systems were required as the new building foundation was much lower than the existing adjacent buildings. The facility features its own central heating and cooling plant with three chillers, two cooling towers, and three boilers.
Using Building Information Modeling (BIM), Suffolk saved significant time and money on the project. The team is also working with Baystate Health to develop 6D facility maintenance options that will best suit the hospital’s needs in order to operate the building in the most efficient and economical ways possible. Suffolk adhered to the sustainable design principles of The Green Guide for Health Care and incorporated green elements, including a seven-story light well and green roof.
For more than three and a half years, Suffolk worked with Baystate Health to ensure that local workforce goals were achieved. The project created an average of 300 construction jobs, and seventy-seven percent of the total hours worked were by Springfield residents, people who live within 50 miles of Baystate’s Springfield campus, women, or minorities. BD+C
Related Stories
| Nov 12, 2014
Forbes: Houston is America's #1 construction hotspot
A new list of America's 20 biggest boomtowns shows Houston on top, with New York City close behind, followed by Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.
| Nov 11, 2014
Must see: Artist pairs up Hollywood icons with famous modern architecture
In his latest series, Federico Babina illustrated 17 iconic Hollywood personalities, from Marilyn Monroe to Michael Caine, interacting with famous 20th century homes.
| Nov 11, 2014
Renzo Piano's third building at London Bridge Quarter approved, will be built adjacent to the Shard
Renzo Piano Building Workshop has been granted planning approval for its residential building at London Bridge Quarter—a 26-story apartment tower dubbed Feilden House.
| Nov 10, 2014
5 guiding principles for solving airflow issues in open-plenum office spaces
Although architecturally appealing, exposed ceilings can create unwanted drafts and airflow problems if not engineered correctly. McGuire Engineers' Bill Stangeland offers tips for avoiding airflow issues on these projects.
| Nov 10, 2014
Clemson, Parsons architecture education programs honored for innovation, long-term impact
The architecture programs at Parsons The New School for Design and Clemson University have been selected as 2014 NCARB Award recipients for developing innovative curricula that merge practice and education.
| Nov 10, 2014
Herzog & De Meuron unveils plan for National Library of Israel
The library’s new home will be a completely new building in Jerusalem, and will combine the functions of a central research center, a venue for indoor and outdoor cultural and educational activities, and a place for digital experience.
| Nov 10, 2014
Hotel construction pipeline hits five-year high
The hotel construction pipeline hit a five-year high in the third quarter, clocking in at 3,516 projects and 443,936 rooms, Lodging Econometrics reports.
| Nov 7, 2014
Arts college uses creative financing to build 493-bed student housing
Many states have cut back funding for higher education in recent years, and securing money for new housing has been tougher than ever for many colleges and universities. A recent residence hall project in Boston involving three colleges provides an inspiring example of how necessity can spawn invention in financing strategies.
| Nov 7, 2014
Prefab helps Valparaiso student residence project meet an ambitious deadline
Few colleges or universities have embraced prefabrication more wholeheartedly than Valparaiso (Ind.) University. The Lutheran-based institution completed a $27 million residence hall this past summer in which the structural elements were all precast.
| Nov 7, 2014
World's best new skyscraper: Sydney's vegetated One Central Park honored by CTBUH
The Jean Nouvel-designed tower tops the list of 88 entries in the 13th annual Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Awards.