Private practice aims to improve the patient experience

BOSTON – August 7, 2014 – Kaplan Construction, a general contractor and construction management firm providing comprehensive building programs to commercial, healthcare, multi-family, worship, institutional, and historic rehabilitation/adaptive reuse clients across Greater Boston, announced today that it has completed renovations to the medical offices of Longwood Pediatrics, a 75-year-old private pediatric medical practice with close ties to Boston Children’s Hospital.

Located in Boston’s highly-regarded Longwood Medical Area, the pediatric practice occupies the entire fourth floor and acquired additional space on the third floor of a six-story building at 319 Longwood Avenue. Longwood Pediatrics remained open and continued to see patients throughout the six-month renovation. 

The new design by Lavallee Brensinger Architects features a dedicated check-in, exam rooms, collaborative team rooms, and support functions for each floor, maximizing patient-provider interactions, and minimizing travel. To ensure that the practice remained open during the project, a comprehensive three-phase plan was established. Kaplan’s construction crews worked during off-hours in order to free up the sole elevator in the building and to guarantee that any loud construction was completed before the practice opened for business every day. Kaplan brokered an agreement with the sub-contractors to shift their normal work hours – starting two hours earlier than usual – without extra fees being charged to the client for premium time. The workers were amenable in part because traffic and parking in the Longwood Medical Area is tight so this allowed them to arrive before rush hour congestion. It was a win-win situation for everyone.

“We have had so many positive comments from our patients about our new space,” said Dr. Eleanor Menzin at Longwood Pediatrics. “The new layout allows us to give our employees quiet work areas, a spacious lunch room with lockers and space for meetings, plus team rooms that give our doctors and nurses a place to meet collaboratively or touch down during a session, allowing them to efficiently manage each patient’s visit. Thanks to our expansion, we can now provide a new level of patient care.”

Lavallee Brensinger Architects was initially engaged to study how the acquired space could best serve their existing practice.  After analyzing and mapping the patient and staff flow, a simulation model was created to test several options.  Kaplan Construction was instrumental in providing estimation services throughout this process to allow the practice to have cost assigned to each of the options.  With this analysis and cost information, the practice decided a full reorganization and renovation was the best option.  The design concept for Longwood Pediatrics was to create a bright, uplifting and fun space without looking childish. A cushioned-back flooring in bright colors was installed in the waiting room for easy cleaning and to help with acoustics.  The core was painted in a bold blue color and the perimeter walls were painted in a cream color making the corridor seem wider, and give continuity to the two floors. Exam room wall colors were kept neutral for appropriate patient evaluation with pops of bold color on the floors and furniture. A bright orange stripe 10 feet away from the eye-seeing chart delineates where a patient needs to stand. All furnishings were selected to be appealing, comfortable for patients and staff, as well as easy to clean.

The medical office renovation prompted the need to install a sprinkler system for the entire six-story building.  Kaplan managed this ‘project within a project’ and assembled a team to complete the distribution of sprinkler piping throughout all of the occupied doctors’ offices and bring new water service into the facility.  In order to do this, the existing memorial Peace Garden located in-between 319 Longwood Avenue and Children’s Hospital had to be dismantled entirely to allow for the delicate installation of water service underneath it. In addition to moving a brick walkway and benches, trees and plantings were stored off-site during the duration of the project and replanted in their original locations upon completion of the utility work. Close coordination with multiple parties was required to bring the pipes from the street into the building, including temporarily shutting down the street in the busy Longwood Medical Area.

Project team members include:

• Owner: Longwood Pediatrics
• Trustees: Longwood Medical Building Trust
• Kaplan Construction: preconstruction budgeting, phasing and scheduling; construction management
• Lavalle Brensinger Architects: architecture, interior design
• CBRE/New England: property manager
• Lynco Fire Protection: fire protection service

About Kaplan Construction

Kaplan Construction is a general contractor and construction management company that provides comprehensive building programs including preconstruction planning, construction management, design-build services, and general construction for commercial, healthcare, multi-family, worship, and institutional clients. Serving Greater Boston since 1976, Kaplan is dedicated to building trusted, long-lasting relationships with its staff and clients based on professional teamwork, personal service, and quality craftsmanship. The company’s proactive approach features lean building techniques and integrated project delivery (IPD) that often realize substantial cost savings and earlier completion dates for its clients, while its dedication to safety far surpasses industry standards. Kaplan has earned its reputation for excellent customer service and superb workmanship, and the company’s highly successful projects have garnered a long list of industry awards and repeat clients. For more information, please visit www.kaplanconstructs.com.