A new six-story, 141,250-square-foot patient tower is under construction at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia, Missouri. The $70 million expansion, which is scheduled for completion late this year, will include intensive care, progressive care, and step-down units as well as 128 private patient rooms. The first-floor lobby level will support registration and administration functions and will include a conferencing center, MRI center, and cafe. The top floor will consist of a mechanical penthouse housing air handling, exhaust, and heating hot water systems.
According to Boone Hospital Center representatives, the new facility will offer the latest in patient care and comfort, from patient touch technology to an exterior healing garden. “Green” features will include native landscaping, water conservation, solar panels, and the use of recycled and regional materials to meet LEED standards for environmental impact and quality. HKS Architects, Inc. provided architectural design services.
Even before LEED certification was a goal, the hospital turned to GBA to provide commissioning services to ensure that the building’s systems would perform according to design and operational intent and meet critical 24/7 needs of the owner and occupants. GBA is providing comprehensive commissioning services for mechanical, controls, electrical, and life safety systems. In addition, the GBA team will provide complete air and hydronic testing, adjusting, and balancing (TAB) services.
“Commissioning is a well documented, systematic method of assuring that a building’s systems perform as intended,” explained GBA Project Manager and Vice President Pat Prendergast, PE. This is especially important in high-functioning, critical facilities such as those found in the patient tower.”
GBA’s commissioning role in the project also includes replacement of the neonatal ICU/labor and delivery air distribution system, expanding the central chilled water system, replacing the chiller condenser water system, cross tying and expanding two boiler plants, and expanding the emergency power and fuel oil systems serving the complex.
