Best Health Care

From the start, relocating and replacing the aging 250,000-sq-ft critical access hospital proved challenging. The team discovered during design that the soil at the 92-acre location—a greenfield site defined by a 150-foot grade change—would not support the 105,200-sq-ft hospital. As a result, the soil was removed and replaced with rock and dirt from an adjacent site.

Using an integrated project delivery process and lean construction techniques to maximize schedule and cost efficiencies, the team was able to save $680,000 on its contract. ZGF Architects, the lead design firm, also says these techniques helped to minimize waste and enhance patient-centered care.

The hospital's design, with features highlighting the local landscape, decreased the building's footprint by nearly 58% compared with the former hospital.

The project included an adjacent and connected 54,000-sq-ft, two-story medical office building that is designed with an elegant juxtaposition of dark and smooth texture concrete block to complement the hospital's palette.

The team used energy reduction techniques, including natural daylighting, recycled and eco-friendly materials and solar exposure. Groves of alder and evergreen trees were planted to reduce the impact of the wind, and the project made use of surface water to reduce underground piping.

These efforts led the project to surpass its energy use index target of 200 KBtu per sq ft per year with a performance of 185 KBtu/sf/year.

Working around the Pendleton Round-Up Rodeo, which was scheduled to begin one day after the project's substantial completion, the team took on an aggressive schedule. A delay of even a day would push final inspections back by at least two weeks, so the team worked hand-in-hand with local labor, subcontractors and city officials to ensure that work proceeded at peak efficiency.

Since it was the first time that most of the consultants worked with the general contractor, an on-boarding process was required. This included onsite leadership techniques such as pull planning and morning huddles to ensure that all quality and safety standards were met, ZGF says.

Through diligent planning and execution, the $45-million project was substantially completed on time.

Judges took note of the way the hospital is "set into the context of the community," calling it a "good job" and a "gorgeous project."

Key Players

Owner/Developer St. Anthony Hospital

Owner's Representative The Healthcare Collaborative Group Inc./Kirk & Associates

General Contractor Sellen Construction

Lead Design Firm ZGF Architects LLP

Lean Design ZGF Architects/Lean Healthcare West

Structural/Civil Engineer Coughlin Porter Lundeen

MEP AEI Engineers Inc.

Landscape Design Site Workshop LLC/ZGF Architects

Geotechnical Engineer Shannon & Wilson