UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay | San Francisco, California

Delivering a comprehensive, new OSHPD-regulated hospital in a largely populated urban area, and over a multi-year period, presented largescale challenges for the design and construction team. Effectively managing change and producing a consistent, predictable result was an overriding goal for the high-performing team.

One of the biggest challenges occurred well into construction. It was a major scope change that required reprogramming of the six-story, 200,000-square-foot outpatient building. Totaling $55 million in changes alone and encompassing a rework of the entire building layout, the reprogramming was needed to accommodate how healthcare services, patient needs and equipment had evolved from the start of the project. DPR was challenged to deliver the changes without impacting the budget or schedule, while maintaining quality standards.

The project team was able to procure key trades early on for modeling and coordination during preconstruction. This allowed the custom details for equipment support to be engineered and crafted in time to make the initial permit set, thus minimizing any permit-related changes orders during construction and, consequently, reducing any schedule impacts.

The project’s high degree of BIM coordination was another key solution, encompassing everything from model-based estimating to MEP coordination, 4D sequencing, constructability analysis, total station integration, site logistics planning, and more. By virtually building the medical center in an intricately detailed model prior to construction, the team could uncover any problems prior to execution in the field, where changes became much more costly. BIM removed uncertainty from the project schedule, saved time and reduced waste.

An integrated team was a key driver behind the successful completion of this project. Together, they defined engagement and scope, set expectations, solidified the project vision, and co-located within the ICDC beginning early in the design phase to further encourage creative problem solving and decision-making as challenges arose.

The project team collectively developed formalized processes to encourage a working environment conducive to collaboration and creative problem solving, resolving issues and making decisions quickly, dealing with changes efficiently and effectively, and devising a needs-based assessment strategy.

Due to their needs-based assessment strategy and effective processes, any large-scale changes were approached as if they were an entirely new project build. Confronted with the challenge of revamping the entire layout of the building after construction was already underway, they quickly created a new team and a new schedule, while retaining the same behaviors, processes and tools proven to be successful thus far. The result: the outpatient building project team revised 18 months of design decisions for the building in a matter of weeks.

The UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay was completed eight days ahead of schedule despite the $55 million in changes implemented throughout its multi-year design and construction process. The team made those changes without impacting the budget or schedule, while improving the overall quality of the facility.

Ranked as one of the greenest urban hospitals in the nation, the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay received LEED Gold certification prior to occupancy. Its 4.3 acres of green space includes over an acre of rooftop gardens to help reduce storm water runoff. The complex delivers 100 percent outdoor air, rather than re-circulated, to every space.

The project has received multiple awards and recognition for excellence, including the ENR California Best Healthcare Project – 2015, ENR Best Healthcare Project in the nation – 2015, and ASHE Vista New Construction Award.