Houston Medical Center
New Patient Tower

• Location:
  Warner Robins, GA
• Size:
  Five-story, 131,500-square-foot addition
• Construction Cost:
  $40,000,000
• Status:
  Completed 2009

PerryCrabb Key Personnel:

• Mechanical: Jim Crabb, PE
• Electrical: Peter Andersen, PE

Owner Reference:

Challenge

Houston Medical Center is located in one of the fastest-growing counties in Georgia. This progressive healthcare organization needed more space, better architecture for modern healthcare delivery, and a new physical image. In a facility that dates from the early 1970s, many departments had outgrown the available space, and the facility needed more patient beds to serve this growing community.

Solution

PerryCrabb collaborated in developing a master facilities plan, which called for expansion of departments, new patient beds, and a new outboard central energy plant. A new patient tower was designed to become a new landmark for the site. The tower includes patient beds, a nursery, a critical care unit, and pediatric acute care unit. A new lobby, kitchen and dining facilities, administrative offices and smart classrooms welcome the community into the facility. PerryCrabb designed lighting controls for patient floors to mimic natural circadian rhythm, eliminating the harsh glare of fluorescent corridor lighting during night-time activities. Energy recovery ventilators and high-efficiency kitchen hoods reduce the environmental impact and operating cost of the new facility.

Results

Based on PerryCrabb’s energy modeling, the hospital has been able to budget for energy costs as the new facility came online in mid-2009. The new tower is predicted to use approximately 12% less energy per square foot than the existing buildings, saving $50,000 per year, with no additional first cost.