UC San Diego Hillcrest Medical Campus Redevelopment Phase 1 | San Diego, California

DPR had to account for several unknown existing utilities, as well as new utilities being installed, to serve the outpatient pavilion, parking structure and central utility plant. Using a combination of as-builts and potholing, then laser-scanning all new pipe installations, our in-house VDC team modeled all existing and new utilities against the project's design and logistics plan.

Having a full 3D underground map of the site afforded the team better scheduling and site logistics, and also helped them make important changes to utility scopes and locations before they caused potential disruptions to campus. The team elected to shift the proposed storm drain line to within the project boundary, being a deeper and longer-duration scope than other lines. This choice avoided a potentially long-term closure of the Emergency Department’s main ambulance route.

The site is in an urban setting and on an active hospital campus with a 24-hour Level 1 trauma center, sitting on top of 60 years of underground utility additions. Logistics have required planning and coordination to ensure not only that construction runs smoothly, but that the nearby homes and living areas remain accessible and are minimally impacted by construction.

Using our expertise in preconstruction and virtual design and construction (VDC), DPR created a robust and thorough plan for the budget, site logistics and mapping of the project site, including all underground utilities. Access to the emergency room and trauma center were kept open through a complex series of road closures surrounding the site, which accommodated the movement of different trades and equipment, including concrete trucks and cranes.

The Dusty Robotics FieldPrinter or “Dusty” is a tool that automates field layout. Using a digital model, a single operator uses the robot to print layout lines and text on the floor. DPR is one of only a few firms nationwide that have certified in-house operators for the Dusty robot.

On the outpatient pavilion, the team partnered with DPR’s internal Field Technology group to model and coordinate walls and MEP systems with the help of our trade partners. From here, the team uploaded the coordinated BIM model to Dusty, which printed lines and labels for walls, soffits, and wall penetrations/block-outs. The tool significantly reduced the time and crew needs involved with performing manual layout.

The parking structure includes a bank of four of the tallest modular or prefabricated elevators ever installed. These units were fabricated in Illinois (cab, shaft, rails, machinery, and all), shipped to the site in November, and were erected in one week.

Since the elevators were built on their sides in a controlled environment, the safety and quality concerns typically associated with a vertical shaft were avoided entirely. This approach also provided sequencing advantages and the potential to save considerable time at building turnover.

Early design engagement of our self-perform team allowed DPR to mitigate several unique challenges on the project. DPR installed multiple Div. 07 scopes, including a fragile porcelain tile rainscreen system, porcelain panel substructure, continuous mineral wool insulation, and fluid-applied weather barrier assembly. While the large-format tiles were being transported from Italy to the fabrication facility in Houston, engineering and design coordination continued on the project.

Installing over 15,000 sq. ft. of porcelain rainscreen panels was a complex task, calling for special handling procedures on site, critical BIM coordination of MEPFS penetrations, and an intricate substructure with concealed fasteners. Each tile is approx. 85 sq. ft. and 238 lbs. with clips attached—requiring special erection aids for installation. DPR’s self-perform team was able to plan the installation before start of construction and accelerate the install schedule of the fragile tiles.