Designed by NBBJ, Seattle, Sharp is the first new hospital in San Diego in 15 years, and it had the foresight to meet California’s new seismic requirements a year in advance. To achieve the necessary changes they built a new hospital and wrapped it around the old hospital and in 2009 moved all the patients to the new facility. In addition to meeting the new earthquake requirements, Sharp had the opportunity to update the facility and meet the changing needs of the industry to maintain their high standards as a medical facility.
The new entrance is sleek and shaped like a French curve at the top and bottom. Somewhat similar to a spiral staircase, it is wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. While it creates a handsome entrance, its shape was a challenge for installers because it was inconsistent from floor to floor. Additionally, there is an S-curve at the apex that tapers and goes over the roof, which is visible from the freeway. The S-curve was designed to shield mechanical equipment and a catwalk.
Contrarian Metal Resources supplied 12,000 square feet (1,115 m2) of InvariMatte stainless steel that was installed by California Sheet Metal Works on the knuckle, stopping and starting over a period of three years as the needs for the entire project allowed them to proceed. Perched between two freeways, the hospital is in a glare sensitive environment and the InvariMatte is a low-glare finish.
“To solve the radius changes from floor to floor we worked with lasers and ion sticks to determine the specific dimensions. With no plumb lines we had to figure out how to pick up a radius point and then connect the dots,” said Jesse Lara, field foreman at CSM.
“The knuckle is the building’s exclamation point and we had good trade people along with good stainless-steel product made uniformly that helped the idea become reality,” said NBBJ Senior Associate Grant Gustafson, AIA. Gustafson designed the project and worked to ensure that the curves only went in one direction for structural integrity and strength, using the latest engineering technology, a 3-D model process to develop the idea.
General contractor: Gilbane Building Co., Providence, R.I.
Architect: NBBJ, Seattle
Installer: California Sheet Metal Works, El Cajon, Calif.
Glazing contractor: Tower Glass, Santee, Calif.
Metal wall panels: Contrarian Metal Resources, Allison Park, Pa., www.metalresources.net
