LAC+USC Medical Center
This project was born as a result of the 1994 Northridge earthquake and the damage sustained by the original building. Designed in 1998, construction began two years later. The goal was to increase patient bed capacity while replacing the damaged hospital. The project was ambitious and had an aggressive timeline with target completion in 2008. The biggest challenge was the tenant improvement in the Acute Care wing committed to in 2005, which was close to the deadline for opening the new hospital. It was extremely critical to ensure that this wing of the hospital was safe for patient care. Vertical door handles, tamper resistant light fixtures, guarded sprinkler heads, and stainless-steel enclosures for sharp containers, were all careful considerations that had to be made while redesigning the new wing. The end result was a modern new hospital that provided a safe environment for the patients needing special services from the facility.
