Two-story brick building with trees
Two-story office building with windows
Hospital hallway with open doors
Corrosive storage area with sink
Industrial machines in a lab setting
Large stainless steel walk-in freezer
Empty hospital corridor with closed doors
Gas cylinders in storage room
Scientific workspace featuring fume hoods and shelves
Air conditioning units by grassy field
Overhead view of intersecting staircases
Large metal ductwork and fans outdoors

VA Research Education Building

Veterans Affairs, Boise, Idaho

HHI was tasked with constructing a new Research and Education Laboratory for the VA Center in Boise Idaho. This building has eight full laboratories, which were constructed for both Research and Education.

HHI served as the principle building and laboratory contractor, responsible for both construction of the building and ensuring it was constructed per the spec’s and plans. Before work on the building could begin HHI organized and carried out the removal of existing sewer and asbestos piping that were under the construction site, other site work included earthwork, utilities, asphalt paving, planting and irrigation, storm and sanitary sewer, and foundation drainage.

Work on the 18,240 SF two story facility included an HVAC system, architectural finishes, mechanical yard equipment including air handler, two chillers, four roof top fans, two medium power transformers and all new landscaping. The center piece of this project is the eight fully equipped laboratories with fume hoods as well as vacuum and gas systems. A new re-engineered stainless-steel exhaust system for all eight laboratories had to be built for the fume hoods.

The parts of this project that were unique to hospital construction include:

  • Folding partitions FRP Panels
  • Walk-in Coolers Metal Lockers
  • Laboratory Fume Hoods Cleaning & Disposal Equipment
  • Medical Washing Equipment Medical Sterilizing Equipment
  • Hydraulic Elevators Metal Casework
  • Gas Systems for Healthcare Facilities Processed Water Systems for Labs
  • DDC Control System Video Surveillance System
  • Security and Call Systems Communications systems
  • Chillers, Air Handlers & associated equipment Access control systems
  • Fire Detection and alarm systems

One of the biggest challenges that this project presented was that the project was confined to a site that has severe space restrictions. The construction site itself offered very little adjacent work space and the project storage yard hard to be remotely positioned within 100 yards of the site. The existing VA Medical Center Campus was densely occupied with medical and administrative facilities and there was a continual concern for pedestrian safety, noise control for patients, and limitations for both the visiting public and delivery vehicles.