Exterior of UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay.

UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay

UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay | San Francisco, California

DPR collaborated with the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), Stantec Architecture, Cambridge CM and 17 subcontractors at the Integrated Center for Design and Construction (ICDC) to deliver the ground-up, $1.52 billion UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay. Marking the culmination of over a decade of planning, design and construction, the 289-bed, six-story, 878,000-square-foot facility opened for patients on February 1, 2015.

About The

Facility

The integrated hospital complex includes:

  • The 183-bed UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital at Mission Bay with an urgent care/emergency department, pediatric primary care and specialty outpatient care;
  • The UCSF Betty Irene Moore Women's Hospital with 36 beds, cancer care, specialty surgery and birth center;
  • UCSF Bakar Cancer Hospital, part of the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, that houses 70 beds, and offers inpatient and outpatient surgery for cancer specialties;
  • A 207, 400-square-foot outpatient building; and
  • A 36,000- square-foot energy center, helipad, parking and support services

More than 250 architects, engineers and contractors co-located in the ICDC on the 14-acre project site beginning early in the design phase, where they focused on building a high-performing, integrated team that adhered to the motto of, “first, doing what’s best for the project.” By bringing key subcontractors on board nearly two years before construction began, the project team was able to virtually build the medical center to a high level of detail prior to constructing it in the field.

The LEED Gold-certified medical complex was built with sustainability in mind, and includes 16 individual gardens that total 4.3 acres of green space. Delivered eight days ahead of schedule despite implementing nearly $55 million in changes, the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay passed the California Department of Public Health’s licensing inspections with “no deficiencies” – unprecedented among new California hospitals. The result is a world-class facility completed early and built with the highest level of quality.

The

Project Process

The

Challenges

Comprehensive Project Delivery in an Urban Area

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.

Change in Scope

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 UCSF Medical Center building
Exterior of UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay.
The

Challenges

The UCSF Medical Center building

Comprehensive Project Delivery in an Urban Area

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.

Exterior of UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay.

Change in Scope

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.

On Effectively

Managing Expectations

By embracing and planning for change on a seven-, eight-year project, change is inevitable

J. Stuart Eckblad

Executive Director of Major Capital Projects for UCSF Medical Center

The

Solutions

Procuring Key Trades Early

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.

BIM Coordination

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

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.

Collaboration and Creative Problem Solving

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.

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.

Pipes and machinery are shown in a row with system tubes intertwining.
Building Information Model (BIM) render of a healthcare facility.
A large team of workers smile and throw their hands in the air for this group job site photo.
Exterior of UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay.
The

Solutions

Pipes and machinery are shown in a row with system tubes intertwining.

Procuring Key Trades Early

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.

Building Information Model (BIM) render of a healthcare facility.

BIM Coordination

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.

A large team of workers smile and throw their hands in the air for this group job site photo.

An Integrated Team

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.

Collaboration and Creative Problem Solving

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.

Exterior of UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay.

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.

Successful

Delivery

One of the things that our team is really proud of is that we organized from the beginning with a process for managing change to ensure the best outcomes for the project.

J. Stuart Eckblad

Executive Director of Major Capital Projects for UCSF Medical Center

The

Results

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.

Rooftop helipad at night with a city skyline stretching behind it.
Healthcare workers in a room with patient bed and equipment.
An architecturally decorated lobby with orange ceiling detail and sculpture.
The

Results

Rooftop helipad at night with a city skyline stretching behind it.

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.

Healthcare workers in a room with patient bed and equipment.

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.

An architecturally decorated lobby with orange ceiling detail and sculpture.

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.

Project

Summary

The successful delivery of the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay project is a testament to a high-performing team that worked together to effectively manage change, while producing a top-quality project that met or exceeded client expectations, according to J. Stuart Eckblad, executive eirector of Major Capital Projects for UCSF Medical Center. “By embracing and planning for change on a seven-, eight-year project, change is inevitable,” he said. “One of the things that our team is really proud of is that we organized from the beginning with a process for managing change to ensure the best outcomes for the project.”

BIM Features

  • Proposal
  • Quantity Take-off
  • Model Based Estimating
  • Self Perform Work Detailing
  • Self Perform Work Tracking
  • MEP Coordination
  • 4D Sequencing
  • Constructability Analysis
  • Total Station Integration
  • Site Logistics Planning

Green Features

One of the greenest urban hospitals in the nation, the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay received LEED Gold certification prior to occupancy. The complex features 16 individual gardens totaling 4.3 acres of green space, which 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.

Project Awards

Best Healthcare Project

2015

ENR California

Best Healthcare Project in the nation

2015

Engineering News Record

Vista New Construction Award

2015

ASHE

Rehab facility room for children featuring bright colors in the space.
MRI machine in the center of a room lit with blue light.

A rehab facility room at the new UCSF Medical Center.

An MRI machine at UCSF Medical Center.

Rehab facility room for children featuring bright colors in the space.

A rehab facility room at the new UCSF Medical Center.

MRI machine in the center of a room lit with blue light.

An MRI machine at UCSF Medical Center.

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