NYC Healthcare Facility Opens Nine Months Ahead of Site Built Schedule
At MBI’s recent World of Modular Conference, more than 125 building projects were entered in the Awards of Distinction Contest. Participants at the event selected the Gotham Health, Vanderbilt Family Health Clinic as the “Best of Show” for all permanent construction projects. With Axis Construction serving as the general contractor and NRB, Inc as the modular fabricator, the nearly 20,000 sq. ft. facility was open in just 322 days – not an easy feat for a project in New York City. The owner estimated that using modular construction saved nine months on the overall schedule.
The Vanderbilt Family Health Center is the first new healthcare facility constructed on Staten Island in over 10 years and is strategically located in a neighborhood that has the greatest and most convenient access to mass transit for patients and staff. The building incorporates Clinical Programs including Pediatrics, Women’s Health, Ophthalmology, Podiatry, Radiology, Diabetes Care as well as Behavioral Health, all meeting the stringent NYC building codes and Department of Health regulations.
The building blended the right mix of architectural, structural, mechanical/electrical features while maintaining strict adherence to budget requirements, critical to the success of the project, as it was funded by New York City. The building features a two-story curtain wall entry system allowing natural light to fill the entryway, factory applied thin-brick exterior with full parapet, ceramic tiled toilet rooms and clean, smooth interior finishes of the offices and clinic spaces for ease of maintenance.
The non-combustible design is a structural steel post and beam assembly with light-gauge infill and pre-poured concrete floors in a composite steel deck to help achieve sound deadening and fire ratings. The customized facility was built completely together at the plant as a two-story structure to ensure precision fit and finish of all features and systems, resulting in a shorter site installation time and reduced on-site activity and disruption to the community.
Once completed, the building was deconstructed and loaded to transporters. This process allowed the building to arrive with all the exterior brick installed as well as a high level of completion on the interior, reducing site completion time significantly. The building was designed with minimal interior columns to allow for maximum flexibility in use. Each module was designed with engineered lifting lugs for fast and simple offloading on to the foundations and a more efficient stacking process meeting exacting tolerances.
NYC Health & Hospitals wanted to minimize disputation to the local residents as the site chosen was in a residential neighborhood. By utilizing “off-site” construction not only were they able to open the facility, treat patients and generate revenue more than nine months ahead of a conventional construction schedule, but also significantly reduced neighborhood disruption. Building this facility in a controlled environment and away from the site helped reduce time and costs in project management and general conditions, allowing NYC Health & Hospitals to meet the budget set for this capital project.
Logistically the project site presented numerous challenges during the delivery and installation phase of the project. Cooperation and careful planning between all stakeholders, as well as the use of a 600-ton hydraulic crane, allowed the building to be installed in just six days with minimal impact to the community.
This article originally appeared in the Modular Advantage Magazine - Second Quarter 2019 released in May 2019.
More from Modular Advantage
Housing Without Borders: Go Global with Haskell Modular Solutions
With the capacity to service over 15 diverse markets across multiple continents, Haskell is the reliable choice for our 80% repeat client base no matter how their needs evolve. So, when a longstanding client—typically known for their large-scale, institutional buildings—engaged Haskell with a very different need—multinational
housing projects—Haskell knew exactly what approach to take.
ProSet Co-founder Shares Expertise to Help Ensure Safe and Secure Modular Connections in Colorado
ProSet co-founder Matt Mitchell created and teaches an 8-hour course, based on Colorado’s modular installation regulations.
Women in Construction – Reflections on a Journey, Then and Now
From industry veteran Laurie Robert, a retrospective for women who are thinking about entering the modular construction industry or are looking to elevate their current position into leadership.
This Year’s Offsite Construction Summits Put Regional Priorities and Industry Realities in Focus
With Summits scheduled for Toronto, Los Angeles, Denver, Washington, DC, and Houston, this year’s series will connect manufacturers, designers, developers, contractors, public officials, and end-users around the practical use of offsite delivery in their own markets.
Affordable Housing, One Module at a Time
For builders and developers, modular factories offer significant scheduling and cost efficiencies compared with traditional site-built construction, regardless of whether the final product is workforce housing, single family homes, or apartment buildings.
Advancing Modular Housing Policy in California: An Interview With Tyler Pullen of Terner Labs/UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept in modular construction—it is already reshaping how complex buildings are evaluated, designed, and delivered.
Europe’s Modular Market Is Expanding, but Consistency Still Matters
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept in modular construction—it is already reshaping how complex buildings are evaluated, designed, and delivered.
How Stack Modular Is Using AI to De-Risk Mid- to High-Rise Modular Construction
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept in modular construction—it is already reshaping how complex buildings are evaluated, designed, and delivered.
Gearing Up for the 2026 World of Modular
The Modular Building Institute (MBI) is bringing its global World of Modular (WOM) conference and tradeshow back to Las Vegas in April, and with it comes some of the industry’s best opportunities for networking, business development, and education.
New High-Rise Modular Apartment in Abu Dhabi Points Toward the Future of Multifamily Construction
Eagle Hills International Properties chose the BROAD Holon Building for a 16-story market rate apartment building in Zayed City, a central business district of Abu Dhabi. The project highlights the potential of the Holon system of volumetric modular construction to accelerate housing delivery.