Construction Blog

Up With The New, Down With The Old

Two of our large interior elevators are now operational and ready to transport workers and materials.  As construction moves inside Building Hope and workers begin using the permanent elevators, we will no longer need the exterior manlifts.  These will be coming down during the week of July 23rd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions?  Please call:

Information: 206-987-6197

24-Hour Emergency Hotline:
Sellen Construction
Tim McKey
Project Superintendent
206.971.3316.

 


Inside the Walls of Building Hope

It was easy to observe progress on our Building Hope expansion during the first year of construction because the work was highly visible. That changed after we completed the exterior of the structure. Now, most of the work is occurring inside the stone, glass and metal walls of the building. Read full post »


Reducing Waits, Preventing Errors

We set many goals while planning our Building Hope expansion. One of the most important: delivering care as efficiently as possible.  In the last post, CPI Guides Our Quest to Fight Waste, we shared some examples of how Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) methods are guiding our efforts to reduce waste and increase safety. Here are some other examples. Read full post »


Open House Kicks Off Livable Streets Work

Guest Blog with Paulo Nunes-Ueno, Director of  Transportation & Sustainability

If success can be measured in numbers of smiling kids, our Livable Streets Open House was off-the-charts. We tuned up bikes, gave away bike helmets and watched dozens of happy children take a spin around our skills and thrills bike course. The event also succeeded on another level as we once again connected with the community to share information about our Livable Streets Initiative. Thank you to all who attended. Read full post »


Waldo Says Trees are Cool

Hey there, Waldo fans, can you believe summer is finally here? I love summer, but when you walk as much as I do, the hot sun can make you extra tired. I’m lucky, though, because I can always find a shady place to rest under one of the many trees here. As a matter of fact, I’m resting under one as I write this blog.

Besides giving shade, trees do a lot of other cool (pardon the pun) things. Can you think of any other benefits trees provide?

There are about 100,000 different types of trees in the world. How many different kinds of trees can you name? Do you know which type is the tallest in the world? It’s the coast Redwood and we have one right here at Seattle Children’s! In the forest, it can grow more than 300 feet tall. That’s about as tall as a football field is long.

Did you know that that largest living thing in the world is a tree? This giant Sequoia – nicknamed General Sherman – grows in California and weighs more than 2,000 tons. That’s about the same as 10 train locomotives or 70 gray whales

Here’s another crazy fact. A certain kind of tree, the great bristlecone pine, can live to be more than 4,000 years old. We don’t have any great bristlecone pines here at Seattle Children’s, but we do have some trees that are more than 50 years old. That’s half a century!

The more I learn about trees, the more fascinating they become. Besides being just plain amazing, trees can also be a lot of fun to play on. How many ways can you think of to have fun with a tree?

Well, I think I’ve rested long enough, so I’m going to stop writing and start walking until the next time I find something interesting to share with you. So long!


Work Pauses for Fourth of July

There’ll be no construction on Wednesday, July 4, as we join all Americans in celebrating our nation’s birthday. Please be safe as you enjoy this special day.

 

 


An Update on Upcoming Site Work

As the spaces within our Building Hope expansion continue to take shape, we’re preparing to begin planned improvements around the perimeter of the site and across Sand Point Way NE in front of the Hartmann property.  You will begin to see work on these improvements in early July. Read full post »


A Commitment to Safer, Healthier Streets

Guest Blog with Paulo Nunes-Ueno, Director of  Transportation & Sustainability

In my last two blogs, I described how sustainability drove the choice of building materials for our Building Hope expansion and how the new facility will conserve natural resources.  But our commitment to creating a safe and healthy environment extends beyond our campus. As we planned the expansion, we created a Livable Streets initiative that supports our focus on green and sustainable design by improving how people travel to and from Seattle Children’s. Read full post »


Don’t forget, our Livable Streets Open House is this Saturday, June 23

People of all ages are invited to participate in the open house and several activities just for kids will be provided, including:

• Free bike helmets with complimentary fitting
• Bicycle safety and fun workshop
• Free kids bike safety inspections

Saturday, June 23, 2012
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gould Hall

University of Washington

3949 15th Ave NE
224 Gould Hall
Seattle, WA 98195

Click here for a map and directions

RSVP: [email protected]

Website: construction.seattlechildrens.org/livablestreets

 


CPI Guides Our Quest to Fight Waste

Our vision hasn’t changed in more than 100 years.  We believe all children should grow up free from illness and injury. What has changed is the world around us. Efficiency is more important than ever in today’s health care environment. That’s why Seattle Children’s is one of the first medical centers in the country to apply Continuous Performance Improvement (CPI) methods to the delivery of health care – including the design and operation of our Building Hope expansion. Read full post »