Entry number: B08004
Project Name: Kaiser West Los Angeles Medical Center New Main Tower
Building Type: Health Care
Completion Date: September 2007
Architect: HMC Architects

Design Team:
Electrical Engineer: Ted Jacob Engineering Group, Inc.
Landscape Architect: Integrated Design Group, LLP
General Contractor: McCarthy
Structural Engineer: Taylor & Gaines
Civil Engineer: RBA Partners, Inc.
Project Director: HMC Architects
Interior Designer: HMC Architects
Photographer: David Lena Photography
Vertical Transportation: Lerch, Bates & Associates, Inc.
Signage: SKA Design

Statement of Design Approach:
The new tower incorporated a templated room system designed in response to research and benchmarking conducted by Kaiser Permanente at a national level. The use of the template system reflected a strong desire to maximize the flexibility and functional effectiveness of the facility. Kaiser research also showed a solid business case for using the template system because it integrated best practices from past models, current wisdom, new and expected technology, and demographic research to result in a high quality, cost-effective new hospital tower.

The goal was to create a patient-centered healing environment within a dense, urban environment. This was achieved through the use of state-of-the-art technology and the incorporation of sustainable, earth-friendly features.

Narrative:
Fitting a five-story, 203,102-SF tower addition into an existing medical center campus in a dense urban environment with no disruptions in service was no easy task. It required creative restructuring of site circulation, a new patient drop-off, and a 60-foot clear span linking bridge to accommodate an underground utility easement. It also offered an opportunity for a new pedestrian plaza and meditation garden.

Built in response to seismic and FEMA requirements, the new tower was a catalyst for consolidation and reconfiguration of inpatient, outpatient, and acute-care functions to more efficiently serve patients. The new tower features the latest innovations in technology infrastructure to support Kaiser's automated medical records system. Nurses' stations, procedure rooms, and operating rooms electronically route images displayed on flat-panel monitors eliminating the need for film or traditional x-ray viewers.

In support of Kaiser's patient-centered care initiative, interior spaces incorporate soft colors, indirect lighting, and curved elements. Interior styles, materials, and colors successfully integrate with the exterior, which features a tan-colored, thin-shell precast concrete panel, tinted curtain wall, and bronze-tone metal panels. Exterior materials complement the existing structures and surrounding environment. In addition, the interior design team sought to emphasize architectural wayfinding elements at corridor intersections and entryways. "Front door" details at patient room entries were incorporated to enhance patient and staff flow throughout corridors and provide unity between departments.

Sustainable Description:
Environmently-friendly, or "green", features were incorporated into the design which not only enhanced the healthful facility environment but is helping to reduce operational costs:

• The use of insulated glazing and operable windows for natural ventilation reduces mechanical heating and cooling requirements.
• Individual temperature controls save energy by eliminating unwanted/unnecessary space conditioning.
• A white roof minimizes heat gain.
• Stratica flooring at the first floor and use of Low VOC adhesives and paints throughout means the use of recycled content and environmentally friendly finishes.
• Landscaping and a healing garden reduces the "Heat Island Effect" from excessive use of hardscape.
• The use of low levels for perimeter building lighting reduces light pollution.
• A heat reclaim system for the heating of the building and the use of steam instead of fuel supplies saves energy and reduces dependency on natural resources