Project overview
Vanir served as the program, project, and construction manager for the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Pavilion (Piper Pavilion). Located on Valleywise Health’s Phoenix campus, Piper Pavilion is a six-story learning and teaching hub with three floors dedicated to clinical education. It includes a 300-person auditorium/meeting space, executive suites, offices, classrooms, a supply chain warehouse, boardroom, and most notably, a 5,200 SF state-of-the-art simulation center that replicates med-surg rooms, ICU rooms, exam rooms, operating rooms, and labor & delivery rooms.
Vanir was involved from the project’s inception, as Piper Pavilion was not originally in the campus scope, through demolition, programming validation, complete design, and construction. Our team also oversaw building activation and staff move-in, including the entire supply chain warehouse.
Innovative solutions to unexpected challenges
The new facility sits directly above a hospital tunnel housing utilities needed for active hospital operations. To mitigate any potential impacts, Vanir worked closely with the design team to carefully place columns and monitor construction, ensuring all utilities stayed fully operational and undamaged.
Midway through construction, the owner requested a complete redesign of the 5th floor, resulting in delays. Despite this, Vanir coordinated with the design team, owner, contractor, and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) to secure timely occupancy for all other floors, with the 5th floor completed soon after.
Located next to an active hospital, including the burn unit and a hospital tunnel entrance used for staff and supplies, Vanir added protection on nearby patient room windows and increased air quality testing to prevent construction dust from affecting the hospital’s air supply.