Heartis Senior Living
Heartis Senior Living – Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care Facility
General Contractor: C&C Construction Management
Location: 911 York Road, Warminster, PA
Project Description:
The Heartis Senior Living Community in Bucks County, PA is proof that where there’s a will, there’s a way. The 90,000 sq. ft. project, which coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, consisted of independent and assisted living buildings as well as a memory care unit. The independent living building was a four-story, wood construction building with 72 units, common areas, a salon, bar, and activities room. Designated as a healthcare project, construction was able to resume following a brief shutdown. However, work was anything but usual. To mitigate the risk of contracting COVID-19, daily meetings were necessary to keep the workers on the busy job site separated while also enabling them to do their jobs efficiently. To be successful, the Quality Buildings team maximized the efficiency and safety aspects associated with our prefabrication process and leveraged our innovative thinking and problem solving to keep the project moving in the face of a global health crisis.
Quality Buildings’ off-site construction model and innovative thinking were instrumental in keeping the project on schedule with minimal disruptions, despite the atypical work environment created by COVID-19 protocols.
As C&C Construction Management’s turnkey framing partner, our work started by reviewing and resolving conflicts in the wall panel design between the architectural and structural drawings before getting to the job site. Given the weight of the wall panels and our limited access to the different sides of the building due to simultaneous construction projects, our team determined that using our Tower Crane was the best approach for this project. While the cost of the Tower Crane was not factored into our original estimate, we were able to absorb the added expense due to the reduction in labor costs which resulted from using the crane.
Our proactive preconstruction process also allowed us to identify the ideal position to erect the Tower Crane. In working with the GC, we were able to adjust the schedule to pour the concrete slab for the neighboring one-story building, which allowed us to then centrally position our crane to effectively reach 90% of the building without moving the crane. Careful planning with the GC was required as the entry point and the exit route for the crane were different.
Using our panelized process, Quality Buildings played an important role in saving time and money and reducing the number of people needed on the job site. Panels constructed at our in-house manufacturing facility were labeled, using our color-code system, to allow us to exactly stage and deliver the wall panels as needed.
“I have had the opportunity to work with Quality Buildings on the project Heartis Senior Living – Bucks County, where they demonstrated their ability to keep the project on schedule and provide quality workmanship, in a safe manner.
Quality Buildings was a pleasure to work with throughout the project and we look forward to working with them on our next wood-framed project as well. I have found their personnel to be professional and highly knowledgeable in their trade. They had the skills necessary to plan and execute the framing of a four-story wood-framed building consisting of independent living units. Quality Buildings provided pre-fab wall panels, floor trusses, and roof trusses and were adept at being able to troubleshoot and provide suggestions for coordination of mechanical and plumbing penetrations during the floor and roof truss layout. The project ran smoothly and Quality Buildings played an important role in completing the work on time and within budget.”
David Rakszawski“Quality Buildings produced little to no change orders and most importantly, during the 1st global pandemic in nearly 100 years, they worked through the pandemic safely and timely which kept our project on schedule during uncertain times. The Ownership, including our lenders, was very impressed and happy that the team was able to continue with their work through these trying times.
We are very pleased with the work done on our project and we look forward to future opportunities to work with the General Contractor and trade partners, including Quality Buildings.”
David Bates, ASHE CHC