Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Expansion Project

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Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Expansion Project

The coronavirus has shown us how important high-quality medical centers are in our country. The Kaiser Permanente healthcare organization recognized this need early on when they expanded their Capitol Hill Medical Center in Washington, D.C. A high-tech facility that offers advanced urgent care, cardiology, and more, the Capitol Hill Medical Center is now primed to deliver expert care during these tough times.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanent operates healthcare facilities across the country. From Washington State to Washington, D.C., they are leaders in providing preventative services and cutting-edge treatment. They focus on a wide variety of specialties, including cancer care, maternity, pediatrics, cardiac care, and more. They are also one of the nation’s most productive research institutions, well-known for their advancements in cancer research, heart disease, and vaccines.

About the Capitol Hill Expansion Project

The main goal of the Capitol Hill Project was to expand the current Adult Medicine clinic in anticipation of patient growth. However, this intial expansion also impacted other departments within the medical center. Existing departments, such as pediatrics, were relocated to other floors and areas of the facility. These other floors were also expanded to allow room for pediatrics, as well as the other departments in that area, such as Infectious Disease, and OB/GYN.

The pediatric center specifically went through several changes to provide a more comfortable patient experience. These included the following:

  • Ocean-themed rooms and colors
  • Ocean white noise playing through the speakers
  • Interactive elements such as whiteboards, projectors, and more
  • New playrooms

As renovations were ongoing, the medical facility remained fully operational. Hensel Phelps, the construction company in charge of the project, worked mostly at night, outside of the facility’s operating hours. This meant that neither the construction nor patient care was delayed throughout the duration of the project.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a small part in the expansion of Kaiser Permanente’s Capitol Hill Medical Center. Stay tuned for more updates from the innovators of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

Improving Specialty Care: Froedtert Center for Advanced Care

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The coronavirus pandemic has shown how important it is to have high quality centers for advanced medical care. At the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, they did just that. In the past few years, they have constructed and completed the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin’s Center for Advanced Care, a 609,000 square foot facility in the heart of Milwaukee, WI.

The Froedtert Center for Advanced Care is intended to treat the rising number of patients while still providing expert care to each and every person who walks in.Improving Specialty Care: Froedtert Center for Advanced Care

It is centered on advanced and specialty care, with various clinics such as the Heart and Vascular Center and the Transplant Center. In all, the facility has 12 floors that are all connected to the campus’ other main buildings through the second floor. There is a universal exam room that can adapt to any patient and any situation, and there is plenty of space to house the many patients that will inevitably visit the Froedtert Center for Advanced Care.

There is cutting-edge work happening both inside and outside the Froedtert Center for Advanced Care. On the inside, the hospital has combined the surgical, interventional, and intensive care areas into one floor. This will better optimize patient flow to allow the hospital staff to more effectively handle the 18,000+ surgeries they perform each year. It also has a split waiting area with windows for visitors to enjoy the views of Milwaukee.

On the outside, the architectural design of the building features various vertical elements in order to lengthen and amplify the appearance of the facility. It has entire walls of glazed windows that reflect the many woods and ponds nearby, as well as an artistic aesthetic reminiscent of many modern art sculptures. Colors and shapes are also repeated throughout the entire building, tying together all of the various parts of the facility.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the construction of Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin’s Center for Advanced Care. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

 

The Facebook Campus Expansion at Menlo Park

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Whether we use it for work or pleasure, Facebook has become an integral part of our everyday lives. However, while you’re liking and commenting and posting pictures, there is a team of Facebook employees making sure that everything runs smoothly. Many of them now work at Facebook’s Menlo Park Campus which has been recently expanded to accommodate the growing social media site.

Facebook HeadquartersThe Facebook Campus Expansion at Menlo Park

Facebook was founded in 2004, and in the past 16 years it has grown into one of the most powerful social media sites in the world. They’re headquartered in Menlo Park, California, or “MPK” as Facebook employees like to call it. The entire campus is like its own little town with coffeeshops, streets, and even a barbershop. It is truly a home away from home for the 45,000 employees who work there. There are even shuttle buses that will take employees from the Menlo Park Caltrain station to Facebook Headquarters.

The Expansion – MPK21

With so much to offer, it may be odd that Facebook decided to expand their Menlo Park Headquarters even more. And yet, that’s exactly what they did. Announced in 2017, MPK21, as the expansion was called, was a $300 million project. It is 962,000 square feet in total, with two buildings, a 200-room hotel, as well as a pedestrian and bike bridge which connects the campus to the nearby Bay Trail. It was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry and was built in less than 18 months.

Sustainability

MPK21 was built with sustainability in mind. It features a 3.6-acre rooftop garden, 200 trees, and a half-mile nature pathway that meanders through the campus. Water systems regularly clean and recycle the area’s water, saving a total of 17 million gallons of water each year. The Town Square also features 40-foot-tall redwood trees, and most of Facebook Headquarters is home to many families of foxes.

Collaboration is key

The best way for any business to function is through collaboration. Facebook’s MPK21 was built to do just that. It features quiet areas for people to focus on their work as well as open spaces for teams to get stuff done. Additionally, dining areas provide further chances for teambuilding, while a 2000-person event and meeting space gives the company ample opportunity for larger events.

Looking Towards the Future – Willow Village

MPK21 is not the only campus expansion that Facebook has been working on. In 2019, they announced plans for a new area of Facebook Headquarters. Called Willow Village, this new expansion will be just across the street from Facebook’s main headquarters. It will replace an outdated, one million square foot industrial complex. It adds office complexes, homes, retail outlets, hotel rooms, outdoor spaces, a town square, and more. Similar to the rest of Facebook’s headquarters, Willow Village would truly be its own community, sporting grocery stores and apartment complexes to allow employees to live and work in one place.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the construction of Facebook’s most recent campus expansion. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system. 

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s New Integrated Genomics Building

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Most frequently referred to as Berkeley Lab, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory performs state-of-the-art, scientific research for the Department of Energy (DOE). With thirteen Nobel Prizes associated with the lab, Berkeley Lab has distinguished themselves as one of the most renowned laboratories in the country, tackling some of the most pressing scientific problems that face humankind.  

One way to help them in their quest was to build an entirely new Integrated Genomics Building (IGB) to help bring together researchers from the DOE and those from the Systems Biology Knowledgebase (KBase). Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s New Integrated Genomics Building

Completed in 2019, the IGB cost an estimated $91.5 million. Nevertheless, it was money well-spent. With modern facilities and utilities, the IGB provides the researchers at Berkeley Lab with a flexible yet stable environment to perform necessary and sensitive research. At 77,000 gross square feet, it also offers the space required to house high performance computers that are needed to support scientific discovery. 

The IGB is also built specifically to help with collaboration amongst scientists—key to furthering current and future research. Said Biosciences Associate Laboratory Director Jay Keasling: “The IGB will drive new research synergies and operational efficiencies with [DOE] and KBase housed together…Our IGB team will also have easier access to UC Berkeley, where we already have dozens of research collaborations and where there will be many new opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral mentoring.” 

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the construction of Berkeley Lab’s Integrated Genomics Building. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system. 

“Let The Dirt Fly”: Building Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX

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During normal times, people will flock to sports arenas around the country for a night’s worth of entertainment. Football games, rodeos, concerts, basketball, and hockey are just some of the many events you can witness inside of an arena. For a country that loves its sports and music, an arena is almost a necessity. This is especially true for the city of Fort Worth, TX. 

Back in 2019, construction of Dickies Arena, a 14,000-seat sports arena, was finally completed. This gave the citizens of Fort Worth a modern and spacious facility to host the many teams, singers, and stars that would visit the city. Read on to learn more about the construction of this multipurpose arena: 

Breaking Ground Building Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX

On November 4, 2014, the citizens of Fort Worth overwhelming voted in favor of constructing a new, multipurpose arena for the city called Dickies Arena. Having been funded by Fort Worth, the State of Texas, and many private organizations, individuals, and foundations, the arena would be the culmination of both public and private efforts. It would be capable of hosting a wide variety of events, including the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, local hockey games, conventions, concerts, basketball games, and more. On April 18, 2017, the “Let The Dirt Fly” groundbreaking ceremony took place, and construction was underway.  

The Surrounding Area 

Dickies Arena is situated in the heart of Fort Worth, just three miles from the Downtown District. It sits adjacent to the Will Rogers Memorial Center campus, a public entertainment venue that was the city’s main event space before the construction of Dickies Arena. When visitors first come to the arena, they are greeted to a breathtaking, Southwest Art Deco plaza, a homage to the city’s wonderful Art Deco architecture and their cowboy culture. Below the plaza is an 85,000-square-foot building meant to house animals for the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. When the Rodeo is not taking place, this building is used for conferences and conventions. 

Dickies Arena 

The rest of the complex houses the arena. It is here that the largest events are held, including concerts, sports games, and, of course, the Rodeo. In total, the entire area encompasses 715,000-square-feet, and the arena takes up about 560,000 SF, seating up to 14,000 visitors. However, the seating capacity can fluctuate depending on the event that is taking place inside (basketball games, for example, hold up to 13,300, while Rodeo performances can accommodate 9300 spectators). During construction, the roof posed a significant design challenge. About the size of three football fields, it is designed to provide visitors with enhanced acoustics and flexible rigging for the variety of events that will take place. The arena is designed as a large, clear span facility without structural columns. As such, an intricate combination of tension rings and compression rings was installed to properly support the roof.  

Additionally, the arena features various artistic reliefs and mosaic tiles that harken back to the western, cowboy culture of Fort Worth. These facades were created by three renowned artists: Mike Mandel, William Matthews, and Evergreene Studios. While the styles of the different artists are varied, their depictions of the frontier nevertheless celebrate the western heritage of Fort Worth, making Dickies Arena a true cultural centerpiece of the city.  

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the construction of Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system. 

Building for the Future: Charlotte Country Day School

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Every educational institution needs to have the space and tools on-hand in order to raise the next generation of leaders. Charlotte Country Day School, an independent school in Charlotte, North Carolina, is trying to do just that. 

Charlotte Country Day School is close to completing a two-year long project meant to renovate and build future learning centers on their campus.

This project, according to the Mark Reed, Head of the School, is set to not only enhance the current infrastructure for current and future students. He states: “The planned enhancements to campus facilities are a significant commitment in ensuring Country Day remains at the forefront of delivering an exceptional education for our students, both now and in the future, through innovative and creative learning spaces.” 

The construction project started in 2018 and is set to complete in the summer of 2020. It has three main phases. The first phase was completed in August of 2018 and included a new center for science and mathematics as well as an additional learning center. The second phase finalized in August of 2019 with a newly constructed student center that features several dining halls. This phase also included the renovation of one of the science buildings. Finally, the third phase, which is set to be completed this summer, includes the John and Claudia Bek Upper School Learning Center. This center will feature a brand-new library and media center for students and faculty. 

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the Charlotte Country Day School’s most recent projects. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system. 

How a New Addition Will Inspire a New Generation at The Classical Academy

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Enrolling over 3800 students across three campuses, The Classical Academy in Colorado is the biggest K-12 public charter school in the state. Not only does it seek to teach students the basics of a good education, but its main purpose is to instill a love of the music and arts.

With its newest addition to its North Campus, The Classical Academy will be able to provide its students with state-of-the-art fine arts spaces for music and theater.

How a New Addition Will Inspire a New Generation at The Classical Academy


Undertaken by Nunn Construction, the newest addition features a 635-seat theater that will host all of the school’s concerts and theatrical performances. The theater has cushioned seats to keep all guests and visitors comfortable, no matter how long a performance may be. In addition to the theater, a scene shop, a music room, and dressing rooms were added for student performers.

The theater is also connected to a commons space that features a prominent entry point into the High School. Previously, the High School lacked a main entry, but now through “a creative design solution,” the commons space provides a definitive entry point for the entire school. In addition to serving as a main entrance, the commons can also double as a community space and a high school cafeteria. By serving a multi-functional purpose, the commons space can provide students with everything they could possibly need.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the most recent addition to The Classical Academy’s North Campus. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

Construction Projects Big and Small Are Helping Medical and Data Centers in Their Hour of Need

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With the coronavirus spreading across the country, medical and data centers have become more important now than ever before. Both have become critical in the fight against the coronavirus, with medical centers healing our sick and data centers helping to better understand how we can flatten the curve. Yet, this also means that both types of facilities have become increasingly overwhelmed as they deal with rising hospitalization rates and supply shortages. For some of these institutions, however, they are equipped with brand new equipment and facilities that can help them in their hour of need. From Poughkeepsie to Gainesville, Construction Protection Systems is proud to have been a part of these past construction projects that are helping those on the front lines. 

Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Poughkeepsie, NY 

Located in Poughkeepsie, NY, Vassar Brothers Medical Center is one of the premiere medical centers in the area. Just this past year, it completed a $500 million project that resulted in a 696,000-square-foot expansion of the facility. This expansion included 264 private medical/surgical patient rooms, 30 ICU rooms, 66 treatment rooms, a loading dock, additional parking, and more, thus allowing the medical practitioners at Vassar Bros to help more patients in the Poughkeepsie area. 

Google Data Center, New Albany, OH 

In November of 2019, Google broke ground in New Albany, OH for their brand-new data center. A $600 million project, the Google Data Center will work to keep the internet flowing smoothly and efficiently to provide us the data we need in times like these. Not only that, but the Google Data Center in New Albany will also be matched with 100% renewable energy. 

North Florida Regional Medical Center, Gainesville, FL 

The North Florida Regional Medical Center is a 432-bed care center that just got a little bit bigger. Beginning in June of 2017, the NFRMC underwent several stages of expansion and modernization, including updating patient rooms, adding two freestanding ERs, expanding their emergency department entrance, and more. Completed in 2018, this project has provided more beds and more room for emergency responders to treat their patients. 

Facebook Data Center, New Albany, OH 

In addition to the Google Data Center, New Albany also received a Facebook Data Center in 2019. A $750 million project, the Facebook Data Center helps to control and monitor Facebook traffic. By doing so, they are helping people stay connected to one another while also providing them access to the information that they need to best weather this crisis. 

Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Lawrence, KS 

For nearly 100 years, Lawrence Memorial Hospital has been serving the Lawrence, KS area. More recently, however, they’ve undergone a major expansion and renovation to their facilities, specifically their Emergency Department. An $81.6 million project, the Lawrence Memorial Hospital is set to have an expanded waiting room, 12 additional private rooms, three triage rooms, and an upgraded electrical power system.  

Gulf Coast Medical Center, Fort Myers, FL 

In Fort Myers, FL, two hospitals became one with the consolidation of the Gulf Coast Medical Center and the Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center. This consolidation resulted in a brand-new building, featuring 423,000-square-feet of new construction and 25,000-square-feet of renovation. The new hospital now sports many critical facilities, including an emergency department, lab, surgery department, 229 patient rooms, and more.  

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in these many renovation and construction projects. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system. 

St. David’s Medical Center Is Helping More Patients with Their Recent Expansion

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In order to properly treat their patients, every medical center must have the equipment, space, and personnel that they need on-site. That’s why the St. David’s North Austin Medical Center underwent a recent expansion to provide their patients with the care they need. The project was a massive undertaking, spread out across four concurrent phases and costing $34 million in total. The construction took about 12 months, and during that time the hospital was kept fully functional in order to continue treating patients.

Four phases

St. David's Medical Center Is Helping More Patients with Their Recent Expansion

In 2009, St. David’s went under an $83 million, 175,000-sq.-ft. expansion of the women’s center. The current project renovated and expanded upon portions of that previous project while also constructing additional sections. The entire project was cut up into four, consecutive phases, that included the following:

Antepartum vertical expansion

This expanded the current radiology department, adding an extra 32,000-sq.-ft. as well as 26 patient beds and a relocated mechanical penthouse.

NICU vertical expansion

This took place directly alongside the preexisting neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). 20,000-sq.-ft. in total, in added 20 new NICU bays as well as the relocated mechanical penthouse.

Surgery shell addition

Adding on to the existing building, this phase added 25,000-sq.-ft. It connected the women’s center tower to the operating rooms and sterile core of the existing hospital.

Pediatrics ED and PICU renovations

The final phase was perhaps the most extensive. With 20,000-sq.-ft. in renovations, this part of the project added a new ambulance entrance, exam rooms, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) rooms, trauma room, CT scan and radiology. It also installed a new set of elevators that would transport patients from the first-floor emergency department (ED) to the second floor PICU.

Keeping the hospital fully functional

When renovating a hospital, it’s important to make sure that construction does not disrupt patient care. This was the case at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center. Throughout the twelve months that this project took place, St. David’s remained fully functional. Even when construction was occurring in the most sensitive areas of the hospital (such as the emergency department or the NICU), it remained business as usual. This was accomplished by using a six-inch-thick sound barrier wall to muffle construction noise that was occurring inside of the hospital. The construction team also “used heavy protective plastic and clean suits each time that they moved or modified the sound wall to isolate the work areas.”

Staying on schedule

One of the biggest accomplishments of this project was that it was finished on schedule. As many know, construction projects are often delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. And, indeed, throughout this particular project there were forty days of delay due to rain. However, the construction team was able to recoup those lost days and still managed to finish within the 12-month schedule.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the expansion of the St. David’s North Austin Medical Center Campus. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

Successful Hotel Renovations – Lessons Learned

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Hotel renovations are unique in that hotel properties are generally always occupied while the renovation work is being done. This is a fact of life, since shutting down an operating hotel for renovation is seldom an option due to the need to avoid laying off, re-hiring and training sometimes hundreds of employees, not to mention the lost revenue during a shut-down.

A highly specialized business

Renovating hotels is a highly specialized business that is almost always performed by specialty contractors who travel around the country and engage with hotel chains in often far-flung locations. Usually, hotel renovations involve guestroom, lobby, food and beverage and meeting room furniture replacement, which also can necessitate on-site auctioneering services. Phased demolition usually follows and can be as simple as re-painting, wallpapering and carpet replacement, all the way to wholesale replacement of windows, plumbing fixtures, lighting, mechanical equipment, bathroom countertops and tile, door replacement and security hardware conversions. Renovations can also incorporate ADA and fire/life safety and elevator upgrades and common area, food and beverage and amenity space improvements. The more of these elements that are included in the renovation, the more complex the planning and execution of the work becomes.

Communication with hotel management

Even the purely cosmetic renovations entail a high degree of communication and coordination with the hotel operations management team. Hot buttons for hotel operations start with detailed demolition and construction schedules, approved in advance, for each phase of the work. Of critical importance is the timing and staging of the furniture removal and demolition in such a way as to avoid disrupting hotel operations, especially guests, food and beverage services and back of the house service entrances and loading docks. It is not uncommon for hotel renovations to be scheduled on a floor-by-floor basis with guest security, construction access points, elevator usage, noise and dust control and hours of operation all subject to careful execution of a detailed plan and schedule, approved in advance by the hotel operator. Specialty hotel renovation contractors understand and incorporate these and other specific hot button issues on behalf of their clients if they are to achieve a successful and profitable renovation project resulting in a highly satisfied client and the prospects for future renovation contracts.

Timing is everything

Because new and renovated hotel construction almost always involves furniture removal and replacement, the timing and logistics of moving enormous volumes of materials, and associated dunnage, becomes a major component of a successful hotel renovation project. During this process, protection of large numbers of doors, both existing and new, from damage during demolition, construction and furniture-moving operations is a high priority. 

For many years, we at Construction Protection Systems have partnered with the most reputable specialty hotel renovation contractors in the U.S. and Canada in providing effective, re-usable door protection products. To learn more, contact us today on our website or by phone at 303-740-6700.