© RMA Photography, Inc.

Assassi Productions

TAYLOR

Assassi Productions

Project category: New construction (completed October 2005)

Chief administrator: Richard Afable, MD, MPH, CEO, (949) 764-4624

Firm: TAYLOR, (949) 574-1325

Design team: Architecture and Interior Design (TAYLOR); General Contractor (McCarthy Building Companies); Construction Manager (Jacobs Facilities, Inc.); Structural Engineering (TMAD Taylor & Gaines); Mechanical Engineering (TKSC Engineering); Electrical Engineering (R.E. Wall & Associates)

Photography: © RMA Photography, Inc.; Assassi Productions; Michael McLane, TAYLOR

Total building area (sq. ft.): 320,000

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $403

Total construction cost (excluding land): $129,000,000

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian’s Sue & Bill Gross Women’s Pavilion is an 11-level, 320,000-sq.-ft. acute care facility specializing in women’s health services. This new environmentally aware tower includes 152 family-oriented private patient rooms, maternity, a NICU, a women’s wellness center, an ambulatory surgery center, outpatient services, clinical and pathology laboratories, and patient/visitor amenities including a café with courtyard dining, a gift shop, and a health resource center. The state-of-the-art facility features many unique elements, foremost being the facility’s stunning coastal bluff location, which offers a commanding view of the Pacific Ocean and scenic Newport Harbor. The surrounding community and its coastal environment largely inspired the facility’s design.

Research has proven that the “hospital feel” can trigger anxiety in patients and actually work against the healing process. A disconnect to the outside world can occur unless adequate design and environmental antidotes are provided. Maximizing daylight and panoramic views therefore became a primary goal and resulted in the development of a unique, base-isolated, moment-frame structural system. Since this was the first hospital of its type to be constructed using this combination, a rigorous two-year design review and prototype testing process were required. The effort, however, was well worth the investment.

The structural system presented the design team with the rare opportunity for an expansive glass curtainwall system, providing the facility with ocean views and abundant natural light. The moment frame allows for flexibility and openness, unlike conventional sheer-wall or braced-frame structures that often adversely affect design options. The benefits of the system are apparent in the natural light that penetrates far into the interior of each floor, supporting the circadian rhythms that are critical to the health of adults and infants alike. The open structural bays and curtainwall system maximize the view opportunities, and in turn provide clear wayfinding cues at every turn. The base-isolation component also ensures undisturbed operation during and after a major earthquake.

Assassi Productions

Assassi Productions
This monumental project has set many new precedents in hospital design and construction. Despite the lengthy and complex nature of the development, the project was completed under budget and two months ahead of schedule. This award-winning facility has been very well received by the client and stands tall along the Pacific shore as a beacon for the community.
Assassi Productions