This $12.5M, single-story addition to the existing Meritus Medical Center facility opened in July 2020, providing acute care to COVID-19 patients in isolated, safe treatment space. A separate entrance and exit protect the hospital’s general population from infection. The new wing sits at the back of the facility, connected via a corridor that leads to the outpatient and administration wing. The rapid onset of the pandemic demanded an accelerated design and construction schedule, compressing work that would normally be done in 16-20 months to just four.
Accelerating Design
The project successfully met this goal, opening to the public in July 2020, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to delivering the project while transitioning to fully remote working, the WSP team was also challenged by the need to select equipment that would be available in the compressed time frame. To meet this challenge, the team used an inverted design approach, selecting major equipment before floor plans were finalized, for example air handling units, exhaust fans, supply terminal air units, plumbing fixtures, panelboards and lighting fixtures. The team relied on extensive medical design experience to select equipment – everything specified was used and no additional equipment needed to be ordered.