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THIS ISSUE: Future of HHI |
April 2010 |
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 Progress continues on the Moss Creek Professional Plaza – a three- building complex in Moss Creek Village zoned for medical and professional use. The first building is completed and occupied and the second building is currently under construction.
When constructing spaces for these medical offices, there are many complexities that come with designing and ensuring that the highly technical equipment can function properly in the spaces allotted. The Sport & Spine Institute has a new top-of-the-line MRI suite.  This facility opened their doors in September, but the MRI machine was not delivered until December. We had to construct the room with a specific enclosure and knock out wall to allow for the machine to be installed after completion. Since this machine is so large, we also had to use reinforced concrete slabs with fiber strands – not rebar because the machine is so sensitive that it would pick up the metal below. We also had to use radio frequency shielding in the walls around the area. Also included in the first building are a prompt care center with two x-ray machines and a spinal surgery center with a spinal tap machine.
Planned tenants for the second building include a mind center (specializing in Alzheimer’s), a hyperbaric treatment center and wound care center, a lab, as well as a chiropractor/rheumatologist. We have enjoyed facing the challenges that come with building around this specialized equipment and are excited about the medical resources being added to our community.
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 Other excellent examples of the growing medical facilities in this area as well as successful design-build projects are the renovations at Westbury Park. These include the new spaces at Westbury Park, Building 12-B for Hilton Head Heart, Hanger Prosthetics and Carolina Sports Care, as well as the 8,000 square foot renovation for the Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Medical Services. All of these renovations were design-build projects.
The design-build method of construction is the most efficient. In this approach, the owner selects a single team comprised of an architect, a contractor and a group of design-engineers to work under a single contract.  This team works with the owner to prepare the preliminary floor plans, building elevations and site plan. Once these plans are approved, the design-builder prepares a guaranteed maximum price for the whole project. Once this is agreed upon, the design-builder must deliver the project at or under the agreed upon budget.
This method of construction puts a single point of responsibility on the design-builder since the owner enters into only one contract for the combined design and construction of the project. There is minimum management required by the owner, since the design-builder manages all aspects of the project including permitting and agency approvals. Design-build is best suited for highly time-sensitive projects and owners who do not have in-house development management resources.
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 I have a great respect for medical professionals in this day and age. With accumulating patient loads and paperwork, they certainly do not have time to oversee construction or renovations when they want to expand their practice. The design-build method of construction is a perfect solution for the medical industry. In this solution, they can contract with someone they trust who will guarantee them a competitive price and manage all aspects of the process.
Many medical providers have very specific ideas on the most efficient ways to organize and deliver care in a new or renovated space. Our first step is to sit down with these medical professionals and begin to identify needs and uses for each space as well as size and equipment requirements. We then develop a written program for the architect to come up with the floor plan. This identifies and outlines all the equipment in each room, cabinets, storage areas and mechanical aspects before we even begin the plans for construction. This is approved by the owner at every stage.
Another benefit of design-build for the medical professional is that we will even include a consultant for medical equipment on our team, who will help them to choose the equipment that is right for their practice. We will also put together exhibits to get Certificate of Need (CON) applications approved by the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).
This process utilizes a team of experts all while maintaining one contact point for the owner. It is the ideal solution for a busy medical professional who needs to focus on patient work, not real estate development.
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“Fraser Construction has done an exceptional job with the recent renovations of our DISC facility. They met the challenge of tight schedules and numerous changes and went beyond the call of duty to ensure that our facility will serve as a functional and efficient home for the Beaufort County School District’s central office for years to come.”
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–Chris Poe, PE
Facilities Planning and Construction Officer
Beaufort County School district
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