McCarthy builds $300 million hospital in California
US-based construction company McCarthy Building Companies has completed construction on the $300 million, phase 4 of the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital replacement project in Santa Barbara, California.
The project involved construction of 370,000 square feet of space, on Pueblo and Castillo St. The new development consisted of diagnostic and treatment (D&T) pavilion and two, three-storey patient pavilions with a basement and a new main entrance. Also, within the realms of the project, McCarthy developed a helipad atop the D&T Pavilion for emergency air transportation.
The new patient pavilion has 164 private patient rooms. Each patient room has a family area featuring furniture which can be converted into beds. The new facility's in-patients and out-patient services are co-located and are seamlessly connected.
The scheme has been designed by California-based architectural practice Marina del Rey. The design of the facility hints an inspiration from Spanish Colonial Revival style. The hospital features therapeutic courtyards, several meditation areas as well as gardens including a River of Life flowing through the interior courtyard surrounded by cloisters and decorated by art works.
The prominent design elements of the building consist of clay tile roofs, broad expanses of rough plaster walls, ornamental iron balconies, vertical divided-light windows and pergolas. The facility has glazed spine corridors and lobbies, which adds a contemporary flavour to the facility.
The new building was developed in compliance with sustainable practices. The facility meets the requirements for US Green Building Council's LEED Silver certification standards. The green features of the building consist of reuse of an existing urban site; erosion and sediment controls; maximum use of natural lighting; re-usage of reclaimed water for irrigation and increased green space.
The building was constructed using sustainable material and re-used materials generated by the demolition of existing buildings. The facility also has a cycle stand, with lockers, storage, showers and riding lanes for encouraging people to use alternative modes of transportation.
The building features advanced mechanical and electrical and plumbing systems with in-built monitoring a system to cutback energy consumption; energy efficient lamps and ballast; multi-switching controls for public lighting. The facility has Energy Star compliant, highly reflective roofing.
With the construction of patient pavilion, the hospital has achieved the requirements for Senate Bill 1953, which states all acute care facilities to be seismic proof by 2013.
