Story

The opening of the new Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital on 1-11-11 marks a new era of children’s health in West Michigan. The 206-bed, 14-floor, 464,000 square foot facility’s electrical system includes 7 unit substations, 16 transfer switches, 6 vertical bussways through the patient tower, 348 panel boards, 175 miles of electrical conduit, 523 miles of power wiring, 8,700 receptacles, and over 12,500 light bulbs. When Buist Electric was awarded the job, HDVCH was still early in the design process. This required a close working relationship with the hospital staff and design professionals. We needed to be flexible in our planning, BIM coordination, and getting infrastructure in place to support a more detailed design coming later. Electrical rooms were very limited in space and required creative engineering to fit the necessary equipment. Additional challenges we overcame included getting 15,000 lb. electrical equipment into the top floor before closure and protecting the equipment until the building was watertight. Overall this was a very challenging project, but one we feel was executed with high quality and owner satisfaction. We are proud to be part of this great project in providing children a hospital dedicated exclusively to their health care needs.