Charles Harwood Temporary Modular Facility
Additional Info
Award Winner : Modular Genius, Inc.
Architectural Excellence : Category 5 Hurricane Maria devastated the US Virgin Islands in September of 2017. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect those islands. The catastrophe created a humanitarian crisis in the US territory as 90% of the buildings sustained some type of damage. After the storm, the Charles Harwood Hospital on St. Croix was condemned. FEMA requested help from the USACE to solicit a turnkey solution to the immediate need for a health care facility. Modular Genius responded by evaluating the program requirements and generating floor plans for each division of the complex. Because there was not an adequate water source for a sprinkler system, Modular Genius separated the medical divisions into separate buildings while maintaining the required distance between the structures to eliminate the sprinkler requirement. The buildings are connected by a walkway to connect the entire facility. The complex consists of 66 modules that total 40,000 square feet.
Cost Energy Effectiveness : While this facility is considered temporary, there has been no progress on the design of the permanent hospital. Therefore the “temporary” modular complex will serve its purpose for the foreseeable future utilizing standard, readily available materials. This economical solution will allow the Department of Health to meet all their obligations to the public while the permanent facility is constructed. As the buildings were constructed, they were shipped in the order that the site could accommodate, and each unit was installed immediately upon arrival. The buildings rolled off the vessel, were cleared, trucked to site and immediately placed into position. This coordination eliminated a staging area requirement and accelerated the installation. In addition, interior walls were designed to be constructed at the mate lines to reduce floor seaming and to further reduce installation time. Less time on site installing the buildings greatly reduced the overall project cost.
Occupied Date : 4/4/2019
Production Start Date : 3/2/2018
Project Location City : Christiansted
Project Location State Name : St. Croix
Technical Innovation : Considering the urgency, lack of manpower, and lack of building materials on the island, offsite modular construction was considered the best solution to execute the construction in the required 120 days after award. While Modular Genius was on island obtaining permits, clearing the land and installing utilities, Specialized Structures was manufacturing the modules in Douglas, Georgia. Once the buildings were complete, they were sent to The Port of Jacksonville and shipped aboard a roll on/roll off over sea vessel. When they arrived in St. Croix, the site was ready for immediate installation. Standard materials were used to expedite fabrication and a use of an ABS foundation design accelerated the installation time. The buildings meet the wind speed requirements and have hurricane resistant windows. While the buildings were installed in the time frame required, the local power company was unable to provide power in the required time period.
Total Square Feet : 40000