Project description
The Health Care Programs Building at Front Range Community College is a two-story, 61,000-square-foot facility that consolidates all of the campus’s health care programs into one dedicated center. The building supports nursing, dental, and medical simulation programs as well as a biology laboratory and a teaching kitchen where nursing students learn clinical meal preparation. The facility’s goal is to create an immersive, realistic learning environment where students can train using interactive simulators and clinically accurate equipment.
Cator, Ruma, and Associates provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design services, along with engineering support, throughout the project. The mechanical system uses a variable-air-volume air-handling approach with packaged DX and hot-water rooftop units, supported by a condensing boiler plant for heating. The building includes multiple specialized exhaust systems, a medical-grade compressed-air plant, and a vacuum system with an amalgam separator to support dental program needs.
During schematic design, CRA evaluated a geothermal heating and cooling system against the DX and hot-water systems that were ultimately selected. The comparison provided the owner with clear information on cost, energy payback, and long-term maintenance. While sustainability remained important, the College prioritized a straightforward system that would be easy for facility staff to maintain.
The electrical design includes a new primary feeder from the utility, a 1,600-amp service entrance, electrical rooms on each floor, and LED lighting throughout. Specialized electrical distribution supports medical simulation instrumentation and pre-wired dental equipment. These systems ensure the building functions as a realistic training environment while remaining flexible to support future program growth.
The completed facility creates a modern, practical, and high-tech home for FRCC’s expanding health care programs.
Guiding Principles for the Design
- Realistic Training Environments
- Simple, Maintainable Systems
- Flexibility for Future Programs
- Specialized Infrastructure Where It Matters