November 2012: On the Drawing Board

Critical access hospital in Oregon cuts down on unnecessary space

ZGF Architects has designed a new 103,000-sf critical access hospital to replace an aging 220,000-sf facility in Pendleton, Ore. The new hospital will feature 25 inpatient beds, a 10-bed emergency department, and a helipad. Plans for the new hospital will eliminate nearly half the space of the current design, reducing nonessential spaces to improve efficiency and patient-centered care. The project is scheduled for completion in September 2013. Members of the Building Team include Sellen Construction (contractor), Coughlin Porter Lundeen (civil & structural engineer), and Affiliated Engineers (MEP engineer).

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Foster + Partners wins competition to design 650,000-sf office tower on Manhattan’s Park Avenue

After a six-month international competition, London-based Foster + Partners, led by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Norman Foster, was selected by L&L Holding Co. and Lehman Brothers Holdings to design a 650,000-sf office tower at 425 Park Avenue in the Plaza District of Manhattan. The building will be the first full-block office development in the area in nearly a half-century, and will be situated along Park Avenue’s doublewide boulevard. L&L Holding anticipates construction will begin in 2015.

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$180 million facelift under wayat san marcos high school

The $180 million modernization and reconstruction of San Marcos High School is one of the largest high school construction projects under way in California. Designed by the San Diego office of LPA Inc., plans for the new high school double the classroom space by 50%, resulting in a three-story, 412,000-sf facility with a central quad. A library reading center, career center, and student store will be located on the ground floor, while academic spaces are to be housed on the floors above. The project is being delivered through a lease-leaseback arrangement with Luscardi Construction.

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Diocese of Orlando to incorporate green features for new church

Designed by SchenkelShultz Architecture and being constructed by Verde Construction Managers, the new $2.4 million, 14,000-sf Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Orlando, Fla., will incorporate green features such as a high-reflective roof membrane, high-efficiency mechanical systems, low-flow water fixtures, and increased building insulation. With a seating capacity of 900 and the flexibility to expand to 1,200, the church will complement an existing 50-year-old church, located at 5900 Oleander Drive, which will also undergo renovations. The new church is scheduled for completion in the spring.

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Satellite treatment centers to enhance care for wounded soldiers

Funded by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and conceptually based on the original National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) in Bethesda, Md., two new $11 million, 25,000-sf centers under way at Fort Belvoir, Va., and Camp Lejeune, N.C., will treat wounded American military service members for traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress. By locating the satellite centers in close proximity to existing military bases and medical centers, medical staff will be able to provide care for service members without having to separate them from their units or families. SmithGroupJJR, which designed the original NICoE, is serving as architect for the project. “These facilities will enhance the already exceptional care provided at NICoE,” said Phil Tobey, FAIA, FACHA, Senior Vice President of SmithGroupJJR and an Editorial Advisor to BD+C. “Every element of the building’s designs will be acutely attuned to the needs of TBI patients.”

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Plans for student engagement center part of strategic plan for UMass Lowell

Cambridge-based firm HMFH Architects is working with the University of Massachusetts at Lowell to undertake the first phase of a new student engagement center on the school’s North Campus. Plans call for the transformation of underutilized spaces in the campus’s Alumni Hall and integrating it with the nearby Lydon Library to create a commons area. The new center will feature seating and study areas, a café, and a lounge where educators and students can comfortably work and interact. The project is part of the university’s strategic plan for the year 2020, including the reorganization and renewal of facilities on the North Campus. +