Turner Construction Awarded Ft. Irwin Replacement Hospital

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District selected Turner Construction Co. to build the Fort Irwin Replacement Hospital in San Bernardino, Calif. The $160 million hospital replaces the Weed Army Community Hospital, and marks a significant milestone in the United States Department of Defense commitment to delivering world-class healthcare to all service members and their families.  

The project consists of a 216,000-square-foot hospital, which provides tertiary care, emergency medicine, and clinical support. Additionally, the project includes a 9,000-square-foot renovation of the Mary Walker clinic and construction of a helipad, ambulance shelter, central utilities plant, and photovoltaic farm, which will provide sustainable energy to the hospital and ancillary buildings.

The hospital's design will utilize evidence-based and world-class design principles, and will be designed and constructed to achieve LEED Platinum certification. Ellerbe Becket/RLF Joint Venture will provide full design services for the project.

"The Fort Irwin Replacement Hospital is a significant win for our company because it builds upon Turner's outstanding reputation as the leading builder of premiere healthcare facilities for the government," says Chris Jahrling, VP and general manager of Turner's Federal Services group in Washington, D.C. "We are excited and honored to partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and contribute to their mission to provide world class care to service members and their families." 

Turner recently completed the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Virginia in a joint venture with Gilbane Building Co. and is constructing the Martin Army Community Hospital at Fort Benning, Ga., and the Department of Veterans Affairs Denver Replacement Hospital in Aurora, Colo., in joint venture with the Kiewit Building Group.  

LEEDing the Way

By Jennifer Morrell

Having recently returned from the 2010 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, I am energized and motivated about all things green. No paper, no carbon footprint, and only sustainable materials (think: masonry) are the way to go. Of the dozens of trade shows I’ve attended annually throughout my career as an editor, I have to say that Greenbuild seems to have snowballed the quickest. During only four annual trips to this show, I have watched it vigorously grow. To that end, I have a few “did you know?” items to share.

For instance, did you know there are 1 billion square feet of LEED-certified green building projects worldwide? That’s right: As of November 2010, the total footprint of commercial projects certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED Green Building Rating System surpassed 1 billion square feet. What’s more, another 6 billion square feet of projects are registered and currently working toward LEED certification around the world. By consuming less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to healthier environments for residents, workers and the community.

More good news: Did you know that green jobs are on the rise? The 2010 Greenbuild show was home to a Green Jobs Fair and Summit, hosted in partnership with the BlueGreen Alliance and the City of Chicago.

“Chicago is ripe with green job opportunities, making it an ideal platform to host the Green Jobs Summit and Green Jobs Fair,” said Kimberly Lewis, VP of conferences and events, USGBC, adding that the green building industry, is predicted to support or create nearly 8 million jobs between 2009 and 2013, and contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product.”

And finally, did you know the USGBC announced the recipients of its 2010 Leadership Awards during the Closing Plenary at Greenbuild? Illinois State Rep. Karen May (D-Highland Park) was honored as an Individual recipient in the Leadership in the Public Sector Category. She is a founding member of USGBC’s 50 for 50 Green Schools Caucus Initiative and a green schools champion.

The Recovery School District received an award for its steadfast commitment to rebuilding healthy, high-performing schools for New Orleans. Five years after the devastating hurricanes that ravaged New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast, the District made rebuilding sustainably a priority, committing to build all public schools to a minimum of LEED Silver.

In the Private Sector Category, Interface Founder and Chairman Ray Anderson was honored as an Individual recipient for his steadfast commitment to transforming the carpet manufacturing industry into a restorative enterprise. Since 1994, Anderson has been leading Interface toward eliminating any negative impact the company has on the environment by 2020.

Skanska was honored in the Private Sector Category for its commitment to worldwide market transformation. With a portfolio of numerous LEED-certified buildings, its Commercial Development group set the floor at LEED Gold for all projects it develops.

The Syracuse Center of Excellence in New York received this year’s award for Leadership in the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). The center has exhibited extraordinary leadership in creating innovations in environmental and energy technologies and their immediate application.

Richard Piacentini, executive director of the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, received the award for Individual Leadership in the NGO category. He has been touted for leading the transformation of a century-old conservatory into a model of green building practices and environmental awareness, including earning LEED Silver for its Welcome Center.