[ARTICLE] Integrated Teamwork Propels Success

Early Team Formation Key to Complex Project

by Steve Carroll, P.E., LEED AP, CxA, Principal

Photo courtesy of Blake Marvin, HKS Architects

It was a tall order: designing the new Main Building at Phoenix Children's Hospital. The new environmentally friendly, 320-bed patient tower and new central utility plant were at the core of a 770,000 sf, $450-million expansion project that doubled the size of this leading pediatric facility.

The multi-faceted process of creating those systems, and all the complexities to match, required a strategic approach. That’s why Phoenix Children’s Hospital brought in the coordinated team of HKS Architects, consulting engineers ccrd partners, contractor Kitchell, and commissioning agents from Glumac.

Steve Carroll, Glumac’s Principal-in-Charge, describes commissioning as “a third-party quality-control process. We look to make sure that the design team and owners are on the same page. We oversee the installation of the systems and check their performance once they are installed.”

In three comprehensive commissioning phases, Glumac peer-reviewed and quality-controlled the design and installation of a highly efficient, leading-edge mechanical, electrical and plumbing system. Agents also ensured that once installed, the system was operating at peak efficiency.

Glumac's commissioning agents were proud to be part of such a stellar design team from the early stages of the project. Carroll says, “We believe in and practice collaboration - from design right through construction and post-occupancy." Kitchell Project Manager Joe Rietman was pleased at the project’s integrated team approach and says that Glumac coming aboard early “made the process more fluid. In fact, this was one of the best experiences we’ve had, because we got to talk with everyone from the beginning.”

The end result is a testament to the teamwork approach. The project came in on time and on budget, MEP systems are performing at optimal levels, and the building meets the standards of Green Guide for Healthcare Version 2.2.

TOTAL AREA: 770,000 sf
ARCHITECT: HKS Architects
MEP ENGINEER: ccrd partners
COMMISSIONING AGENT: Glumac
CONTRACTOR: Kitchell
COMPLETION DATE: June 2011