DPR Team Keeps End Users’, Customer’s Needs in Forefront to Complete Latest 460,000-Sq.-Ft. Senior Housing Facility Project for Episcopal Homes in Aliso Viejo, CA

Over the next 25 years, the population of individuals 65 years and older is expected to double to 71.5 million, and people continue to live longer with life expectancy increasing over the last several years, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging. Facing a growing senior population in the decades ahead, homes and services for the aging are on the rise, especially continuing care retirement communities that offer a combination of independent-living, assisted-living and nursing-home care.

For the approximately 300 seniors who watched The Covington Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in Aliso Viejo, CA, being planned and constructed over the past three years, the project represented much more than just a new campus going up; it marked the creation of their new, and, in many cases, final home.

The DPR team that recently completed this CCRC was well aware of the personal impact the entire design and construction process would have on its end users. That awareness set the tone from the beginning, according to DPR Project Manager Scott Carriveau, and increased the team’s commitment to delivering a top-quality project, on schedule and budget, that met both the tenants’ and the owner’s needs.

“The Covington team was outstanding, and many of us finished the project knowing that we may never work with such a cohesive team again,” said Wendy Cohen, project manager for Intelisyn, Inc. Construction Management, which served as the owner’s representative. “DPR formed a team from the beginning with all of the project players, including the owner, consultants and architects, which stayed in tact throughout the project with very little change.

The team created a mission— “Continuing a Tradition of Pride; Building a Great Community”— and identified goals and expectations that incorporated open communication, building safe and fast, honesty, and never promising something that cannot be delivered. “The key ingredient to the project’s success was the teamwork and communication we had,” said Carriveau.

Representative of DPR’s increasing foray into the growing senior housing market, The Covington project for Episcopal Homes is a multi-building retirement community that provides a full continuum of care for seniors. Designed by The Steinberg Group, the 460,000-sq.-ft. complex consists of the following, set within a campus-like atmosphere:

• A separate independent-living facility with 131 resident units, two guest suites and numerous amenities, such as pool, dining hall, full-service kitchen, arts room and fitness center;
• A 30-bed, two-story assisted-living facility;
• A one-story, 24-bed Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD)-regulated skilled-nursing facility;
• 24 private cottages; and
• A two-story, below-grade parking structure with 273 stalls.

Soon after DPR began the project in April 2002, the project team encountered a series of permitting obstacles that resulted in an unforeseen five-month adjustment, requiring resequencing of the work. DPR quickly shifted its focus from the parking garage and independent-living facility to begin construction of the assisted-living facility, which then served as a template and model for the rest of the project.

According to Cohen, “DPR could have completely stopped work, but instead they continued moving forward on other parts of the project. Further, when the building permit was finally received five months later, DPR was quick to provide a recovery schedule that kept the overall construction duration the same and did not increase the delay any further. The Covington was able to move its first resident in on June 1, as had been communicated and advertised to the residents and community for more than two years.”

The team ran into several other obstacles early on, including a major site-related issue constructing the access road. The solution reached through extensive brainstorming sessions entailed building an alternate roadway that satisfied requirements of the Orange County Fire Authority during construction of the facility, and later replacing that with a permanent roadway—a significant deviation from the original plan. Another challenge entailed coordination of the mechanical and electrical systems in the ceiling spaces, requiring several mock-ups and detailed planning to resolve the routing and space issues.

Construction of the OSHPD-regulated skilled-nursing facility within the extremely tight schedule presented another major project challenge. DPR rose to the occasion, and Cohen noted that the OSHPD inspector, David Bayless, indicated that The Covington is one of the first projects that he has ever seen completed within the proposed 10-month construction schedule.

Cohen credits DPR’s ability to bring together the team as a key factor in the success of the project, along with the team’s strong customer focus. “DPR was always sensitive to the needs of the client regarding resident meetings, resident concerns and resident options,” she commented. Throughout the course of construction, project team representatives regularly met with the future residents in quarterly luncheons to keep them informed of project progress and to obtain their continuing input.

Despite the myriad of obstacles encountered, DPR successfully completed the project and turned over the facility in July 2004. The success on The Covington project and the relationships DPR formed with the owner and owner’s representative led to the company’s recent award of a second project with Intelisyn for owner front porch—Walnut Village—which is currently in preconstruction. Intelisyn is again serving as the owner’s representative on the $60 million project, which is expected to begin construction around the third quarter of 2005 and includes a four-story cared-living facility with below-grade parking.