Kaiser Permanente’s Downey location is their second largest hospital facility. The facility includes 352 beds for 82 different medical departments, including an 85-room emergency facility offering both inpatient and outpatient care.
The exterior wall systems comprised over 37,000 square feet, including 22,930 square feet of Kawneer 2250 Series window-wall/storefront and 14,400 square feet of curtainwall. Large units measure up to 26´ tall. The systems skinning the steel braced-frame structure were designed to meet the demanding seismic requirements of California Building Code. Full scale mock-ups were constructed and tested at Smith Emery facilities in Los Angeles. The testing program required monitoring water penetration and air infiltration under load, including movements mimicking those that could occur in a seismic event.
To accelerate the erection schedule and minimize trade congestion, the Enclos field operations team presented an installation strategy that allowed the installation of glass and metal facade systems prior to the plaster wall systems. The general contractor accepted the proposal, and Kawneer provided custom packaged framing by unit types to facilitate field assembly. Working in step with the general contractor, Enclos constructed an assembly yard at the exterior perimeter of the job site, greatly simplifying delivery logistics and further speeding the schedule.