Columbus Regional Health Building and Expansion Project
In response to changes in healthcare delivery, hospitals across the country are re-examining how their facilities serve patient needs. For Columbus Regional Hospital that meant expanding and adding a more accessible Emergency Department and Cancer Center, adding a loading dock with upgraded utilities and developing a long-term operations plan to meet both current and future demand - all while continuing to deliver care to their current patients and families.
Location: Columbus, Indiana
Owner: Columbus Regional Hospital
Architect: BSA Lifestructures
Photography: 2015© Above All Photography
Prefabricated Utilities
30 years ago the process of tying in new utilities with existing was a lot different than it is today. Pepper's team traded pencils and paper for pull plan scheduling, a laser scanner and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software to facilitate the planning, prefabrication and assembly of a new utility tunnel. This process created a safer environment and a higher quality installation, and it reduced the overall schedule.
Virtual Mockups
There are times when hands-on experience just can't be replaced, like creating full-size mockups developed before construction begins to allow nurses to "test drive" the space and provide feedback. Pepper used full-scale mockups and added a touch of virtual reality, which allowed staff to experience being in the space. Hold up your smart phone or tablet and take a spin around the acute care space.
Replicated Custom Fixtures
Columbus Regional Hospital's architecture is unique, from its brick and limestone exterior façade to the custom finishes inside. So when Pepper was tasked with expanding the footprint and incorporating similar features in the new space, we used technology to find cost effective solutions for replicating the design. For example, custom ceiling fixtures light the corridors, providing a warm, healing environment. The hospital wanted to add the same lighting to the new corridors. Since drawings didn't exist from which new lights could be fabricated, Pepper used a laser scanner to capture data from the light fixtures and then converted it to measurements in a 3D model.