Early in 2015, The Vancouver Clinic decided to pursue new construction and expansion projects to better meet the needs of their nearby communities. Of these projects, NWESI was involved in the Ridgefield expansion, the Columbia Palisades, and the upcoming Salmon Creek. Navigating construction during COVID 19 was not easy for any involved, but a few key components made the project, commissioning and all, a success.
One of these projects, the Columbia Palisades, was completed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. While this presented it’s own challenges for safety and communication tactics, the project team (Andersen, ZGF, Day CPM) was able to come together and complete it with minimal obstructions because of the standards set early in the first project: Ridgefield.
Below are photos and key points of The Vancouver Clinic Ridgefield, that helped set the tone for its predecessors.
The Vancouver Clinic Ridgefield is a new, single-story building that offers primary and urgent care services, and opened in August of 2019. This progressive design-build required effective communication, teamwork, and strategy to ultimately deliver this 15,400SF medical office building one month early, and with a projected total budget savings of $2.3M.
NWESI Commissioned the facility with the goals of ensuring the required Washington State Energy Codes for new construction were met. Commissioned systems included: HVAC, HVAC controls, lighting controls, domestic hot water, and emergency generator. Aside from this, NWESI was responsible for system troubleshooting, and completing relevant documentation and operational assurances for the facility systems.
Sr. CxA John Herboth stated that fulfilling his scope of work was made significantly easier because of the collaborative spirit of the team, and the investment in communication among all project team members.
Commissioning agents can frequently be seen as external to the project teams, and in extreme cases, working against the team in order to find problems. While there certainly is troubleshooting involved in every project, understanding the commissioning scope of work, having previous relationships with the project teams, and stepping into a project that already had an emphasis on communication made it a smooth process for NWESI. Owner’s rep Day CPM received praise from our team for nurturing a professional, collaborative mindset throughout.
Because of the success of TVC Ridgefield and Columbia Palisades, the project team was invited to speak about their experience at ISHE 2021. Key points included:
- Collaborative Design-Build projects.
- Communication and management strategies in a virtual environment.
- Safety precautions and processes.
- Navigating COVID-19 complications.
Listen to the presentation below, with representatives from Andersen Construction, ZGF Architects, DAY CPM, and our own CxA John Herboth as they review construction during COVID 19, and what made The Vancouver Clinic projects successful despite difficult conditions.
