Baltimore, Md. – RMF Engineering announced today that Engineering News-Record (ENR) Southeast has named the University of North Carolina (UNC) REX Healthcare Heart and Vascular Hospital the Best Healthcare Project of 2017. RMF provided mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services for the $190 million multi-phased project, which was completed more than six months ahead of schedule and more than $10 million under budget. ENR Southeast will honor each winning project at an awards luncheon at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate on November 17.
The goal of the project was to develop a new Heart and Vascular Hospital — a 307,000-square-foot, eight-story building dedicated to treating patients with heart disease. In order to connect the new building to the existing hospital, renovations were required in the existing hospital. As the MEP engineer, RMF designed the MEP systems above all 114 patient rooms using 3-D modeling in coordination with the contractor so that those systems could be prefabricated in an off-site warehouse before construction on the hospital began, expediting the installation of the MEP rough-ins on one floor per week. RMF also provided MEP and civil engineering services for a new chilled water plant as well as extended steam, oxygen and electrical services for the new hospital.
RMF has decades of experience working with healthcare institutions across the country. Duane Pinnix, president and CEO of RMF Engineering, said the RMF team is honored to include UNC Rex Heart and Vascular Hospital in its portfolio.
“This was an incredibly complex and ambitious project,” said Pinnix. “But between the hospital, architect, contractor and other subcontractors, we had a highly synergistic, communicative and innovative team that made it possible to deliver the project both early and under budget. We are confident that the new Heart and Vascular Hospital will bring great value to the Raleigh, N.C. community and we are honored to have been a part of this award-winning project.”
The Heart and Vascular Hospital includes an outpatient diagnostic area, eight cardiac catheter labs, two operating rooms and two hybrid operating rooms. It also houses a conference center, café and cardiac rehabilitation space, all funded with the $10 million in project savings achieved by aggressive and explicit scope procurement.
Every year, ENR Southeast assembles an independent group of judges to determine the winners of the Best Projects awards competition. This year, the judges reviewed nearly 90 entries and evaluated them based on the use of teamwork to accomplish goals, site safety, innovation and contribution to the industry or community, construction quality and craftsmanship, function and aesthetic quality of the design, and challenges managed. To see the full list of ENR Southeast’s 2017 Best Projects, click here.
About RMF Engineering
Founded in 1983, RMF Engineering (www.rmf.com) provides planning, design, engineering, commissioning and facility assessment services globally to clients in the healthcare, higher education, laboratory/research and government sectors. The firm leads the industry in the development of new engineering production methods and technologies, including Building Information Modeling (BIM), carbon reduction strategies, and in-depth assessment technologies. A privately held company headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, RMF has more than 230 employees in 12 U.S. offices.
