By Healthcare Facilities Today

MUKWONAGO, WI - The new Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton serves members of the military in a healing and calming environment – from the moment they arrive on the hospital’s campus to the moment they leave. A four-story parking garage, featuring Banker Wire metal fabric railings and partitions, helps establish this calming environment and creates a sense of tranquility for patients.

The 500,000-square-foot hospital opened in December 2013. Located near the main gate of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, the largest military training facility on the West Coast, it replaces a 1960s-era hospital that needed extensive seismic retrofitting. The new centrally-located hospital includes inpatient medical-surgical services, an extensive ambulatory surgery capability, an adult ICU and labor, delivery and post-partum delivery rooms. The hospital’s physical and occupational therapy clinic is its busiest, with more than 75,000 patient visits each year.

That large volume of outpatient visits made providing convenient parking a crucial concern for the hospital’s project team. The parking garage, which has partitions and railings filled by Banker Wire woven wire mesh, and additional surface lots provide more than 2,500 parking spaces. This amounts to 1,200 more parking spots than at the old facility, where parking difficulties often caused patients to be late for appointments.

The Banker Wire M13Z-145 woven wire mesh used in the garage’s multi-level partitions lets in an abundance of natural light, complementing the structure’s soothing green and blue accents and ocean views. This pattern features vertical triple wire, woven with consistent horizontal rods. Its long aspect ratio contrasts with its vertical orientation, giving the partitions a balanced appearance. In addition to its aesthetic benefits, Banker Wire metal mesh has the necessary functional attributes for the façade of a parking structure. With a 64.5 percent open area, this large-scale, three-wire weave offers a combination of natural airflow and security.

On the garage’s staircases, walkways and pedestrian bridge, Banker Wire FPZ-10 woven wire mesh provides durability, fall protection and a unique look. The rectangular openings in the FPZ-10 pattern allow natural light transmission, and the stainless steel metal fabric picks up the stairwells’ blue and green hues. The result is a railing that provides a sense of serenity and security to those entering and leaving the hospital.

“We selected the Banker Wire product based on a combination of quality and cost factors,” says John O’Connell, project manager with Bapko Metal, Inc., the fabricators for the project. “This structure will serve the military, so we’re very glad it turned out so well.”

The new hospital is projected to earn LEED-gold certification. Banker Wire woven wire mesh contributes to LEED credits in the recycled content category. Its wire is composed of 80 to 85 percent post-consumer and 12 to 18 percent pre-consumer recycled steel. 

The Camp Pendleton Hospital was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and is the largest ARRA project awarded by the Department of Navy. Patients were transferred to the hospital in December 2013. The project team included design-build team Clark Construction Group, LLC and McCarthy Building Companies, architect of record HKS, Inc., and fabricator BapkoMetal, Inc.

About Banker Wire: Banker Wire is the world’s leading manufacturer of woven and welded wire mesh for architectural and industrial applications. With the most modern and productive mill in the U.S., Banker Wire provides custom-weaved material for any aesthetic on any scale – from intricate design highlights to expansive building facades. Banker Wire’s investment in its people and equipment provides its customers with innovative and value-based products that solve problems and exceed expectations. For more information, call 1-800-523-6772 or visit www.bankerwire.com.