By: RK Mechanical
Green building initiatives, including LEED for healthcare v4, and new patient care models have impacted healthcare construction. Sustainable, patient-focused facilities are designed and constructed to be safer, resource efficient and financially beneficial.
Green facilities reduce resource waste through LEED v4.
Building owners, facilities managers and contractors are focusing on green building strategies for new construction and renovation projects to ensure facilities are in good shape to serve patients now, and in the future. The LEED v4 rating system, specific to healthcare, places guidelines on specific energy- and water-efficiency prerequisites, including building reporting and disclosure requirements. A Future Trends article from Medical Construction & Design highlights popular sustainability advancements to meet the LEED requirements, including motion and light sensors to reduce energy, solar shading to increase natural day light and decrease internal heat gain and low-flow faucets and fixtures with auto-off controls to conserve water.
Patient-focused designs lower operating costs.
The popular W-shaped hospital layout limits patient exposure to noise and infection while improving navigation, keeping doctors closer to patients and promoting collaboration between medical specialties. Sustainable facilities reduce waste, contamination and greenhouse emissions while conserving water, energy and natural resources. Financially, LEED-certified buildings are designed to lower operating costs now and increase ROI in the future.
RK has completed several LEED-certified projects locally and nationally. We have the knowledge and expertise to work closely with project teams in sensitive healthcare environments. Let us help you with your healthcare facility needs! Contact us at communications@rkindustries.com for more information.
By: RK Mechanical
The healthcare field is vast and frequently progressing. As death rates decrease and life expectancy increases, people are living longer creating a demand for new and updated healthcare facilities. Thankfully, prefabrication has allowed healthcare facilities of all sizes to be built in record time.
According to The 2015 SmartMarket Report on Prefabrication and Modularization published by McGraw-Hill Construction, contractors believe that prefabrication can decrease project schedules by four weeks or more. In addition, 65 percent of contractors believe that prefabrication leads to a decrease in budget and, because of that, more than 49 percent of healthcare projects now incorporate prefabrication.
Mechanical contractors are capitalizing on this approach and are experiencing great success. Prefabrication has proved to increase efficiency through less wasted material and improve the speed of construction. Repetitive processes lead to consistency and fewer mistakes, leading to better quality products. Prefabricated mechanical systems, specific to healthcare facilities, include bathroom components or whole bathroom pods, MEP racks, wall systems and exterior elements. As prefabrication advances, new applications include modular mechanical rooms and patient and exam rooms.
Prefabrication creates safer working environments for employees. Prefabricating mechanical systems in a controlled environment means that as little as 20 percent of work is done on-site, reducing health and safety risks. And, more than one third of McGraw-Hill survey respondents using the approach say they have seen safety improve company-wide. Weather is not an issue and ladders and platforms are rarely needed. Fabrication in a warehouse and installation onsite allows multiple construction activities to be performed in parallel. According to a recent article published by Sourceable, between 60 and 90 percent of the prefabricated portions of healthcare facilities are assembled off-site.
Prefabrication is essential for operational facilities. Construction crews are able to perform work and install systems with less congestion and disturbance to facility employees and patients. Cutting down the construction schedule is also a key benefit because the sooner construction is finished the sooner they can expand the amount of care that they are able to give.
RK Mechanical has extensive experience working in the healthcare industry prefabricating and installing mechanical systems for projects including:
- Audie Murphy VA Memorial Hospital, San Antonia, TX
- St. Anthony Hospital, Denver, Colorado
- Fort Carson Soldier Family Care Center, Colorado Springs, CO
- Vail Valley Medical Center (VVMC), Vail, CO
- Swedish Medical Center, Englewood, CO
- Northern Colorado Medical Center (NCMC), Greenly, CO
- U.S. Air Force Academy Hospital, Colorado Springs, CO
- Denver Health, Denver, CO
- Castle Rock Adventist Hospital, Castle Rock, CO
Looking to build or renovate a healthcare facility? RK Mechanical would be happy to discuss our services with you. Contact RK Mechanical at communications@rkindustries.com for more information.