The 12-story (with 2 underground parking levels), 1 million square foot, $2.1 billion dollar California Pacific Medical Center facility on Van Ness and Geary Blvd in San Francisco is a great case study around complex signage project management, communication and construction contractor coordination.
This 274-bed facility and 2.5 level underground parking garage and rooftop gardens officially opens for business in early 2019. Priority Architectural Graphics was hired to provide sign installation services for the project which included interior code 2287 signs, internal regulatory 3167 signs, interior and garage wayfinding 1072 signage and exterior identity and wayfinding signs. Priority’s union installers from Carpenters Local #22 are experienced architectural signage experts having been trained in a program and curriculum which was designed by the Priority Architectural Graphics team in partnership with the Union.
The complexities of the project required tight coordination of the expanded project team including not only Priority’s installation team but also the primary sign contractor (Arrow) and the general contractor (HerreroBOLDT) for the overall job. As the sign installation schedule changed on a frequent basis, Priority’s role was to track and adjust the schedule, reschedule labor and receive, sort, record and store 90% of the fabricated signs at the Priority production facility in the Bayview. The project also leveraged the Priority team’s deep knowledge of the Plangrid software program, instrumental in keeping virtual teams in sync as the sign fabrication and delivery schedules changed along with production and installation requirements.
Priority Graphics Project Manager, Michelle Savage-Conley noted “We learned valuable lessons at Priority working on such a complex, high volume project involving so many moving parts and teams. Clarifying project goals at the outset across our expanded team, understanding each team’s role and responsibilities, fully costing out every aspect of the work required and planning for contingencies, all played a critical part in the success of this high profile CPMC Hospital engagement.”
The Priority Graphics team plans to take on even more healthcare and medical facility signage projects in 2019 and looks forward to the CPMC installation as another positive example of teamwork and partnership in the construction industry.
