MemorialCare Irvine Imaging Center

Developing a complex imaging center in an existing office building

The development of a new, full-service imaging center in an existing office building in Irvine, California, presented a set of unique challenges for designers. The 6,530-square-foot facility, located on the ground floor of the Centerstone Plaza Medical Office Building, provides X-ray, Ultrasound, CT and MRI imaging and PET CT as well as blood draw services. The project was complicated by the addition of special MRI shielding and the inclusion of an MRI chiller with associated site work, CT and PET CT cooling units on the roof. The structural and MEP complexities of the project, combined with an accelerated 12-week construction schedule, required a focus on efficiency and adherence to realistic development timetable, as well as focused coordination and communication between the various design teams.

The new center includes reception, waiting area, reading room, film library, technical stations, dressing rooms, soiled and clean utility rooms, dirty linen and general storage, staff lounge and a manager’s office. As a part of the project, the space was brought up to OSHPD-3 requirements including modifications to the mechanical system to provide the waiting room with 100 percent exhaust and outside air, adding additional supply air filtration, ducted returns and redundant hot water systems.

The project is part a collaboration between MemorialCare Health System and LPA that began in 2010, focused on the institution’s long-term goal of creating better healthcare environments for its patients and staff.