Pediatric Burn Unit patients at Torrance Memorial Medical Center recently teamed with workers from McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. to create mini renditions of the new hospital Patient Tower using Legos, and to mark the tower’s final concrete pour.
The event took place in view of the project site where construction of the medical center’s 398,350-sf patient tower is underway.
Among the patients participating was 5-year-old Robert Jones, who has been undergoing treatment for burn injuries at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. A former burn patient, Litzy Santos, 6, and her sister Karime also participated in the mini building project.
McCarthy workers joined the patients, donning construction gear and hard hats, to help with their building efforts. The workers invited the patients to give the command via two-way radio to complete the final concrete pour on the seventh-story deck—the top level of the new Patient Tower. McCarthy donated several sets of Legos to the Pediatric Unit to help keep young patients entertained during their hospitalization.
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is serving as general contractor for the $450 million Patient Tower project which is more than half-way finished. At its peak, there will be approximately 500 construction workers on site. The new hospital, which will replace Torrance Memorial’s original tower built in 1971, will feature the latest medical technologies, more beds and space and a modernized design. The seven-level Patient Tower will house 256 private rooms, 18 surgical and interventional treatment rooms as well as a basement with a central utility plant and a tunnel connecting the existing hospital to the new facility. The Burn Unit will relocate to the new Patient Tower once the new tower opens in spring 2015. +
Related Stories
| Oct 8, 2014
New tools for community feedback and action
Too often, members of a community are put into a reactive position, asked for their input only when a major project is proposed. But examples of proactive civic engagement are beginning to emerge, write James Miner and Jessie Bauters.
| Oct 8, 2014
Massive ‘healthcare village’ in Nevada touted as world’s largest healthcare project
The $1.2 billion Union Village project is expected to create 12,000 permanent jobs when completed by 2024.
| Oct 8, 2014
First look: Woods Bagot unveils plans for new Christchurch Convention Center
The locally-inspired building is meant to serve as a symbol of the city's recovery from the earthquake of 2011.
| Oct 8, 2014
Denver transit project wins design-build Project of the Year honor
The Denver Union Station Transit Improvement Project is among 25 projects honored by the Design Build Institute of America for excellence in design-build project delivery.
| Oct 7, 2014
Analysis: Student loans will cost housing industry $83 billion in 2014
More than 410,000 single- and multifamily home sales will be lost in 2014 due to student loan debt, according to analysis by John Burns Real Estate Consulting.
Sponsored | | Oct 7, 2014
Boost efficiency with advanced framing
As architects continue to search for ways to improve building efficiencies, more and more are turning to advanced framing methods, particularly for multifamily and light commercial projects.
| Oct 7, 2014
Economic gains are rallying rents in Raleigh, N.C.
The greater Raleigh, N.C., market appears to be getting back on its feet again, which is good news for rental property owners.
| Oct 7, 2014
Structured, not stirred: The architecture of cocktails [infographic]
In this downloadable graphic, technologist Shaan Hurley dissects 37 cocktails and analyzes their architectural makeup.
| Oct 6, 2014
Moshe Safdie: Skyscrapers lead to erosion of urban connectivity
The 76-year-old architect sees skyscrapers and the privatization of public space to be the most problematic parts of modern city design.
| Oct 6, 2014
Houston's office construction is soaring
Houston has 19 million square feet of office space under construction, 54% more than a year ago, and its highest level since the booming 1980s, according to local news reports.
