County of Ventura Behavioral Health Center
Additional Info
Award Winner : Pacific Mobile Structures, Inc.
Architectural Excellence : Ventura Medical Center needed to vacate their existing mental health building quickly or face liquidated damages from the general contractor hired to build a new hospital wing on site. This created a need to construct a new 12,000 sf permanent facility within a very tight timeline. The owner’s architect and Pacific collaborated to “modularize” the original design. This facility was constructed to house mental health patients with the intent to create a warm, inviting lodge-type building instead of a sterile hospital design. Stack stone, exposed beam construction, stained tongue and grove soffits accomplished that goal. A 12’ wide covered porch along three sides of the building added 3,800 square feet of outdoor environment for patients to enjoy. Skylights and solatubes added natural daylight throughout the buildings. A full service kitchen with a commercial hood was located next to a general gathering area with 12’ high ceilings.
Cost Energy Effectiveness : Pacific Mobile Structures was the GC on site, and the scope included full turnkey responsibilities. By having these capabilities, it provided direct cost savings to the owner by having one company perform and manage the project. The entire onsite portion of the job was completed in less than 90 days. The cost of the complex fire suppression system was minimized by completing the majority of the work at the factory. All of the custom cabinetry was also completed at the factory further reducing the on-site construction costs. Split shift crews were also used on site to speed up the construction schedule while managing the labor costs. This process allowed the project to be completed on time, eliminating costly liquidated damages. The solatubes and skylights were positioned to minimize the amount of electricity required to light the interior. Entry into all access point of the building were directly from the sidewalk elevation eliminating expensive and unsightly ramp systems.
Occupied Date : 7/1/2013
Production Start Date : 2/14/2013
Project Location City : Ventura
Project Location State Name : CA
Technical Innovation : A patented delivery trailer allowed the general gathering area to be designed with 12’ high ceilings, that was 100% constructed in factory, then shipped to the site within the height constraints. This process has increased the design flexibility of modular construction. Modules were also arranged in a creative way with many different size configurations, not just uniformly lined up side by side. The steel moment frame construction provided a very rigid and durable structure that will increase the buildings life cycle compared to standard wood frame construction. As a non-ambulatory residence, fire separation between all rooms was required as well as anti-suicide features such as breakaway shower rods, closet rods, and hard lid ceilings. High quality Meko window shades reduced cooling requirements needed for the warm environment. An accordion style door system provided maximum space flexibility, allowing the overall building size to be smaller because of the multi-use areas.
Total Square Feet : 12000