Address: 6535 Nemours Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32827

Work: KENPAT installed more than 36,000 square feet of terra cotta façade panels and the acoustical ceiling system throughout the hospital.

General Contractor: SKANSKA USA

Architect: Stanley Beaman & Sears (Atlanta)

Dates: July 2009 – July 2012

Awards:

• 2013 ABC Central Florida Excellence in Construction Eagle Award (Interiors)
• 2013 ABC Central Florida Excellence in Construction Eagle Award (Exteriors)

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Nemours Childrens Hospital

Situation

The addition of this 630,000-square-foot hospital expanded Lake Nona’s Medical City. The 95-bed facility, spanning a 60-acre campus, features an emergency department, diagnostic and ambulatory care centers, a research center, and a central energy plant. Designed by Stanley Beaman & Sears (Atlanta) and constructed by Skanska USA, the hospital’s exterior achieved LEED Gold certification. Designed by Perkins & Will (Boston), the hospital’s interior emphasizes patient-centered care in every aspect. The construction spanned three years, with the ceiling installation alone requiring nearly a full year.

KENPAT installed acoustical ceilings throughout the hospital and the first rear-ventilated terra cotta façade in Orlando, with more than 36,000 square feet of tiles.

Task

KENPAT installed approximately 35,000 square feet of terra cotta panels across fifteen façade panels. Additionally, the team installed over 277,000 square feet of ceiling tile across seven distinct ceiling types, along with more than three-quarters of a mile of architectural trim and 72 miles of acoustical ceiling grid.

Action

The construction of the terra cotta façade posed unique challenges due to its intricate design. The Nemours Children’s Hospital had 15 distinct façades, each with end and bottom returns, using smooth and grooved tiles. This resulted in nearly 1,000 unique tile sizes out of almost 10,000 total tiles. To optimize shipping costs, tiles were sorted by size rather than façade section. This logistical challenge required KENPAT to rent a separate facility for sorting and pre-staging before delivery to the job site.

Most of the façade was built over precast concrete panels. The discrepancy in tolerance between concrete construction and the requirements for the terra cotta façade necessitated the implementation of an adjustable aluminum substructure system to meet the precise final façade tolerances. To meet critical infrastructure requirements, KENPAT obtained a one-time, project-specific NOA approval, ensuring engineering standards exceeded NOA benchmarks.

Additionally, the interior work involved the installation of over 277,000 square feet of seven different types of ceiling tile, more than three-quarters of a mile of various sized architectural trims, and seventy-two miles of acoustical ceiling grid. Ensuring high-quality installation was crucial due to the complexity of the project. The inclusion of specialty surgery ceilings, serpentine wood ceilings, and two-story atrium acoustical clouds made this project particularly unique, requiring exceptional accuracy and superior craftsmanship to meet the high standards and expectations.

Collaborating with the Skanska Team involved meticulous daily planning to ensure the coordination of all trades and timely completion of various areas. The corridors were especially challenging due to the extensive installation of overhead MEP items, which left limited space for the acoustical ceilings that were needed to finalize the area. The surgical ceilings required particular attention as they had to be custom ordered to fit specific dimensions, with all components integrating seamlessly with MEP trades and drywall ceilings. The wood ceilings presented the most critical aspect of the project; none followed a straight-line construction and featured various curves, necessitating custom cuts to achieve the correct layout. Precision craftsmanship was essential for the successful installation of these elements.

Result

KENPAT was instrumental in the successful completion of this cutting-edge medical facility. The warm, earthy tones of the terra cotta panels create a striking contrast against the aluminum and glass façade. The simultaneous construction of multiple facades required strict adherence to safety protocols. The cladding was completed with zero lost man-hours.

This award-winning project underscored KENPAT’s expertise, earning ABC Central Florida Chapter 2013 Eagle Awards for both interiors and exteriors.