NORTH READING, MA – Columbia Construction Company, one of New England’s leading construction management firms (www.columbiacc.com), recently completed construction of the new headquarters for Boston MedFlight, the non-profit critical care medical transport provider. The 54,000 square-foot facility, located on the civilian side of Hanscom Field in Bedford, MA, consolidates all functions under one roof and includes hangar space for four aircraft, garage bays for ground ambulances, a state-of-the-art communications center, a simulation lab for medical training, and offices for operations, educational, and administrative teams.
The project was an ambitious build. The new Boston MedFlight facility accommodates the coordination of time sensitive emergency medical response throughout eastern New England using both air and ground vehicles. A high-fidelity medical simulation lab allows comprehensive, up-to-date training of Boston MedFlight and local first responders, and office and communications spaces are equipped with high-performance technology. The 30,000 square foot hangar slab and apron utilize radiant heat to maintain warm temperatures inside the hangar and ensure snow and ice melt on the exterior. Additionally, the project includes numerous sustainable design features including solar panels on the facility’s roof, which supply 297,600 kWh per year, providing roughly $45,000 in utility company savings per year, and reducing CO2 emissions by 238 tons per year. LEED Silver certification is expected.
“Working to achieve MedFlight’s impressive goals was a tremendously satisfying challenge for all of us at Columbia Construction,” says Dave Stodden, Columbia Construction senior vice president. “The vital work that they perform on behalf of everyone in the Boston area is inspiring and we were honored to build the thoroughly modern, cutting-edge facility that they deserve.”
Construction at the approximately 2.5 acre site was a complex process. Because MedFlight’s hangar facility is located on land controlled by the Massachusetts Port Authority, permitting had to be submitted through the agency and stringent processes were required throughout the process. Crane permits were overseen by the Federal Aviation Authority and each day the crane was on site, the coordinates of the crane needed to be called into Hanscom to be cleared prior to resuming crane activities and once again when the day’s work was complete.
“Columbia Construction fully realized our most ambitious goals for this new facility,” says Rick Kenin Boston MedFlight Chief Operating Officer – Transport. “Their calm leadership and industry-leading expertise made a potentially difficult process smoother and resulted in a headquarters that improves functionality and efficiency in providing our lifesaving services. We expect this facility will dramatically shorten our launch process to get aircraft and ground ambulances to our patients when and where they need us.”
