New Construction Buildout for CHOC Children’s Hospital in Orange, CA.
Nine stories, 330,000 square feet of medical office space. A time of concrete pour, the building experienced a massive amount of deflection caused by a decrease in the steel metal decking. Most floors throughout the building had roughly 2.5″ of out of level conditions significantly affecting not only flooring but major MEP trades as well. Signature was brought onto the project and consulted regarding what the client could utilize for subfloor conditions. Due to the amount of self leveling needed, the building would need a lightweight SLU as a traditional leveling prodiuct would have added too much weight to the concrete decks. Signature presented Mapei’s Ultraplan Lite SLU weighing only 25 lbs per bag but getting a coverage equivalent to a 50 lb bag product. Eight of the nine floors required significant leveling so Signature invested in it’s own self leveling pump – a Graco MP 40 – which could mix and pump over 3 bags per minute. We also hired a pump specialist to fly in and train our team as well as using a consulting firm to test the PSI strength of the product. In total on the project alone, Signature’s team used over 35,000 bags of Mapei Ultraplan and Ultraplan Lite. Once completed with all prep, the MEP trades could come in and perform their scope as well as finish drywall etc. Signature then completed it’s floor covering scope of installation across the 9 story building.
Nancy Thiel, founder and principal of Thiel Architecture + Design, is a licensed architect and an interior designer. With 40+ years’ experience working with luminaries in the architecture world, including Michael Graves, Robert A.M. Stern, and Rockwell Group, where she served as a studio leader, Thiel’s extensive portfolio includes single-family homes and multi-story residences, hotels, restaurants, retail, fitness clubs, offices, theaters, schools and shopping centers. She is a member of the AIA, holds NCARB certification and is a LEED accredited professional. Prior to her career in architecture, Thiel was a dancer and choreographer.
Thiel Architecture + Design is an award-winning multi-disciplinary architecture, interior design, planning, and product design firm with offices in CT and NY. The firm’s work focuses on high-end residential design as well as hospitality, contract, and retail projects. Thiel Architecture + Design’s work has been featured in Interior Design, Architype, New York and Connecticut Cottages and Gardens, Connecticut Magazine, Archello, and Fast Company magazines. In 2022, the firm received a Connecticut AIA Excellence award for Interior Architecture. Thiel earned a BA from Penn State University and her Master of Architecture degree from Syracuse University.
