LOS ANGELES, CA — The design-build team of Hensel Phelps, HMC Architects, and CO Architects has been selected to lead the design and construction of a new Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Replacement Program. The program will consolidate medical services into new facilities on the 72-acre campus and ensure Harbor-UCLA Medical Center complies with Senate Bill 1953, which requires all California hospitals to be structurally resilient in the event of a major earthquake by 2030.

On February 8, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the $1.695-billion capital project for the medical center in West Carson, California.

“I’m excited to lead this design-build team of health care design and construction experts to deliver this magnificent, state-of-the-art facility," said Sandra Ichiho, RA, LEED AP, Hensel Phelps Program Manager. "Through this project, the county will create hundreds of local jobs and millions of dollars in business opportunities for the local community.”

The construction for this project consists of a 468,000-square-foot acute care inpatient tower with 346 beds, a helicopter landing pad, and an 11,000-square-foot warehouse. It will also include a 403,000-square-foot outpatient treatment and support building and a 381,000-square-foot above-grade parking structure, plus a 23,000-square-foot facilities and IT support building and a new 24,000-square-foot central plant.

Consolidating inpatient and outpatient services into new buildings that optimize operational effectiveness, the medical center project reduces operation and maintenance costs. In addition, it provides outpatient facilities that accommodate planned patient visits, implements the county’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Development (LEED) requirements by incorporating sustainable design features, and creates a campus designed for the well-being of patients and staff.

Targeting LEED Gold certification, the medical center upgrade will develop a modern campus that serves the community’s health care needs while also aiming to protect the environment in which it is built.