INTERMOUNTAIN MEDICAL CENTER

About the Project

One of Utah’s largest construction projects, with over 1.3 million square feet, the Intermountain Medical Center houses a host of engineering innovations to address the diverse needs of a full service medical campus. Van Boerum & Frank Associates was selected by Anshen and Allen Architects to be the Mechanical Engineers to provide these engineering innovations. Redundant water line connections, a tunnel backbone system, low temperature operating rooms and use of HVAC Systems’ specialized design software are examples of VBFA’s innovative engineering. Within the walls of the Intermountain Medical Center there are examples of every conceivable situation that an engineer can encounter in the design of a medical facility. With each design challenge that was encountered, VBFA chose to be pro-active in providing designs that were high in quality and reliability and were innovative in their approach. Knowing this, the designs that were used can serve to be the model for future state-of-the-art work in the field of engineering. Many of Van Boerum & Frank’s designs at the Intermountain Medical Center were conceived with saving energy in mind and thus provide the owner long term economic benefits. Unique primary and secondary pumping systems, analysis of humidification and economizing costs and application of water side economizing all provided ways of saving the owner operating costs. The sheer size of the campus and the diversity of systems and use required that the mechanical consultant be experienced and capable of designing a complex medical campus. Thousands of pieces of equipment needed to be selected. Hundreds of drawing sheets needed to be produced. The efforts of over 40 engineers needed to be coordinated. To accomplish all this, a broad base of knowledge and expertise was required. Van Boerum & Frank knew what was required and what was unique about each area of the hospital and was able to provide a state of the art design for each. In today’s health care environment, specialized and complex analysis and procedures are required to stay competitive. State-of-the-art facilities are an absolute necessity to the survival of a patient care system. The mechanical system that are necessary to support those state-of-the-art facilities are required to be state-of-the-art themselves. Van Boerum & Frank is proud to say that they provided just such systems. The campus opened for patient use on October 29, 2007: the date had been planned for several years. The project was delivered on time, and on the opening day, patients were treated at a facility that will be the flag ship of the Intermountain Health Care system for many years to come.