Summit Surgical Center

At Issue

By request of the community, an active clinic located in the Rocky Mountains was to be expanded into a surgical center. With an increasing number of skiers coming to the valley, the need for a nearby surgical center was imperative. Passage through the mountains to the closest hospital by ambulance or helicopter was dependent upon weather conditions. Guidelines included:

• Mechanical and electrical equipment must be environmentally safe


• Mechanical and electrical systems were required to meet stringent hospital codes


• The construction and operating costs had to be kept within budget constraints


• The center must be self-sustaining during utility outages


• The community could not be left without a medical facility during remodeling and expansion

BGCE's Work

BGCE designed the center to be climate controlled by an environmentally sensitive indirect/direct evaporative cooling system which does not use ozone-depleting refrigerants that can release chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) into the air. The innovative technology utilized met strict operating room temperature requirements. The center's cooling unit is controlled by a state-of-the-art Direct Digital Control (DDC) system which can be remotely monitored and operated by the parent company 100 miles away, ensuring a constant comfort level.

Costly, inefficient, and environmentally-unsound refrigeration equipment was replaced with more cost-effective, earth-friendly technology, which utilized CFC-free equipment that minimized electrical requirements, thereby reducing installation and operating costs. The original clinic equipment used 1.4kw of electricity per ton of cooling to operate: the new system is designed for 0.3kw per ton, translating into direct energy savings of 79% on a per square foot basis.

BGCE resolved the complex issues of medical services continuity and difficult winter construction at 9,000 feet altitude by critical path planning. The new central mechanical and electrical plant was built prior to the demolition of the old systems which stood on the future foundation site. The new plant was built and brought on-line within five weeks to serve the existing building's changing needs. During the six month construction period the facility was shut down for less than eight hours.

Client Benefits

• Facility serving the area's urgent and surgical care needs


• Virtually uninterrupted operations


• Environmentally-conscientious systems


• Increased operating efficiencies