The Marlborough Hospital Cancer Pavilion (MCHP) is a 14,000 sf project comprised of a 12,000 sf new wing and about 2,000 sf of renovation to existing space.

The project will provide a few exam rooms for the hospital, but the main program centers on a state-of-the-art Linear Accelerator for radiation oncology, a CT Simulator for diagnostic imaging, and 10 chairs for infusion oncology. Tocci, The S/L/A/M Collaborative, and Marlborough Hospital, along with key consultants and subcontractors, are delivering the project under a full IPD contract.

The project’s size places it on the standard “to BIM or not to BIM” line. However, Tocci and SLAM each have a mature level of sophistication with BIM authoring software. SLAM also had established relationships with consultants with similar levels of capability, in this case, SLAM’s in-house structural engineers out of their Glastonbury office, and Fitzemeyer & Tocci, Associates for MEP engineering. This project wasn’t BIM enabled, it was BIM by default.

Even with an expert core BIM team, the project size does create challenges. The project is still at a scale where the subcontractors involved may or may not be BIM-savvy, and the trades we partnered with on this project have varying levels of adoption.

Both Covenant Fire Protection and Youngblood Company have experience modeling, so are able to perform their own modeling scope. However, although Senecal Electric and Renaud HVAC, the other two IPD partners, are the best firms for the project, they have little BIM experience. The scale of the project doesn’t limit the need for BIM-based coordination; it is essential to optimize the limited plenum space.

To resolve the variance in BIM capabilities, Tocci is working hand-in-hand with Renaud to layout the ductwork and mechanical piping, modifying the design intent model authored by Fitzemeyer & Tocci. Similarly, though the work is less complex, Senecal will advise Tocci on the cable tray and major conduit layout to ensure that everything “fits”.