Chapman Construction oversees multiple healthcare projects for Element Care PACE

Newton, MA Chapman Construction has completed two projects for Element Care PACE that included the adaptive reuse of a former medical building in Lynn, Mass. and the construction of their new facility in Brighton, Mass. Both projects involved heavy logistics coordination and multiple stakeholders, including the Boston Housing Authority, 2Life Communities, MassDesign, the city of Boston, the city of Lynn, and Element Care PACE.

In engaging Chapman to oversee the construction projects in Lynn and Brighton, the team created new environments allowing forward-thinking approaches to healthcare to combine with best-in-class sustainability measures that will support the health of older adults for years to come. The projects represent the latest collaboration between Chapman and Element Care PACE during their 17-year-long relationship.

In Lynn, Chapman oversaw the conversion of a former medical building into a day-care and healthcare facility. The 25,000 s/f space features exam rooms, a nurses’ station, quiet room, library, memory care, teaching kitchen, and rehabilitation gym, as well as a courtyard and two exterior patio spaces for patients to connect with nature. The site also includes murals in the first-floor rehabilitation hallway, painted by students in the Raw Art Works youth arts organization. This space will also act as the new Element Care PACE administrative headquarters and features new offices, a staff kitchen, conference rooms, and a second-floor deck for employees to utilize. The project incorporated a 2,000 s/f addition for a new day room, exam rooms, and nurses’ station that created a circular flow and an interior courtyard. As part of the preconstruction phase, Chapman leveraged BIM to coordinate utility layouts across all trades, allowing the team to address design requirements within the existing shell and against various structural constraints.

The Brighton project encompassed the construction of a 12,000 s/f communal ground floor space within a newly built core and shell. The space features a dayroom, teaching kitchen, memory care space, patio, quiet room, offices, rehabilitation gym, and six exam rooms for older adults, as well as a nurses’ station and staff lounge. Chapman followed Passive House design principles when modifying building enclosure elements to ensure high performance. The HVAC system includes an all-electric heat pump system with energy recovery and ventilation, ensuring healthy indoor air quality for participants and avoiding local air pollution from burning fossil fuels.

Chapman also coordinated its work in concert with another general contractor overseeing base building construction. A variety of logistical challenges were addressed early on in the preconstruction phase, which allowed for a safe and efficient worksite.

“When we embarked on these projects, our goal was simple: allow residents to age in place with the services they need close at hand,” said Mary Ellen Dugan, Chief Operating Officer, at Element CARE PACE. “Our partnership with Chapman Construction goes back many years, and we were excited to work with them on bringing these important facilities online. Their team’s commitment to not only delivering a high-quality finished project but also one that is highly sustainable in nature has helped us to meet our mission of delivering comprehensive, coordinated care at home and in the community.”

Element Care PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) is a non-profit healthcare organization with a simple mission: to help older adults live safely and comfortably in their homes and communities for as long as they can, keeping their stays in hospitals and nursing facilities as minimal as possible.