Despite being a global leader in medical care and disaster preparedness, the United States reported the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases during the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. Public health experts cite multiple contributing factors, including shortcomings in preparedness systems that ultimately fell short of expectations.

Municipalities are integrating lessons learned from the pandemic by investing in cutting-edge health-care infrastructure to address both current and future public health needs — with Orange County, California emerging as a leader in the movement.

In 2025, in partnership with Orange County Public Works (OCPW) and the OC Health Care Agency (HCA), PCL Construction and Gensler completed a new, state-of-the-art health-care facility. Delivered through a collaborative design-build model, this comprehensive health-care hub integrates the offices of three critical health divisions — Emergency Medical Services (EMS), a Public Health Laboratory, and Community and Nursing Services — into a single, high-performing, emergency-ready space. The new campus strengthens the county’s ability to respond to public health emergencies and supports the HCA’s broader mission to promote wellness and equity across diverse communities.

“This campus gives the county a powerful tool to respond quickly to public health emergencies, as well as the back-office activities that support day-to-day health care,” says Pramodh Reddy, a senior project manager with PCL. “It’s truly a one-stop shop for emergency services, built with extra capacity to handle future demands. They’re now better equipped to act fast when it matters most.”

The delivery of this health-care campus came with high stakes, driven by strict funding stipulations and an immovable schedule. To meet these demands, the county selected a collaborative design-build delivery method.

“The county wanted speed, accountability and full integration of design and construction from day one,” says Reddy. “With everything they envisioned for the project, it was a no-brainer to select a design-build delivery model.”

Because of the funding structure, the design-build team adopted a phased approach, initiating early scopes of work while design was still underway. This required seamless coordination and flexibility.

“Collaboration really fast-tracked this project,” says Jeyre Lewis, area manager for PCL’s Orange County office. “Having the HCA, the county and the design team working with us shoulder to shoulder in decision making, walking through major milestones and getting to a point where we could start building as soon as possible all helped the overall goal of completing the project faster.”

The team’s leadership approach was rooted in transparency and shared decision making. At the outset of the project, many county leaders were unfamiliar with the design-build delivery method. To build their expertise, they participated in design-build trainings led by PCL, with one leader ultimately earning credentials from the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) during the project.

Over the initial six-month design phase, end users such as EMS responders, microbiologists and maintenance staff were included in weekly design meetings, providing input on everything from outlet placement to lab adjacencies.

“Working together, evaluating issues, anticipating problems and opportunities — that was the recurring theme of this team’s efforts,” says David Ahern, a project manager at OCPW. “Through those shared experiences, the team members developed a bond of trust and mutual admiration.”

Through advanced digital modeling and concurrent design-construction phases, the team identified and resolved system conflicts early, saving weeks on the schedule. The facility was delivered two months ahead of schedule, and has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2025 Project of the Year Award from the Southern California chapter of the Construction Management Association of America, a National Award of Merit from the DBIA, and a regional Award of Merit for Excellence in Safety from Engineering News-Record.

The new facility was designed to consolidate multiple existing health facilities onto a single campus. The selected site was a formerly contaminated brownfield site (previously developed land that may carry risk of pollution from past industrial use) that has since been fully rehabilitated to support the construction of this modern health-care campus.

According to Ahern, the new health-care campus was designed to meet three main goals: clean up the previously contaminated brownfield site, construct a 70,000-square-foot essential healthcare facility and build a 20,000-square-foot Biosafety Level-3 laboratory (BSL-3) within the facility. Working on a fast-paced 24-month timeline, the design-build team comprised of PCL and Gensler successfully delivered a facility that exceeded expectations.

Key features of the facility include:

• 24/7 Operational Readiness: The campus includes specialized backup generators to ensure continuous operation during emergencies.
• Risk Category IV Construction: Under California Building Code, buildings and structures are assigned a risk category based on how essential they are to public safety. As the highest designation, Risk Category IV must be able to remain operational during and after a disaster. These buildings are designed and constructed to withstand significant structural failure and maintain essential services during an emergency.
• Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory: BSLs are designations used to classify labs based on the level of safety required to handle biological agents. While BSL-1 labs deal with low-risk microbes, BSL-3 labs — like the one in this facility — are equipped to handle airborne pathogens that can cause serious or fatal diseases. To meet the rigorous safety standards required, the PCL and Gensler team used digital modeling throughout design development to integrate over 200 specialized lab components. They also collaborated closely with trade partners early in the design process to coordinate complex mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, including the lab’s critical negative pressure zones.
• Emergency Operations Center (EOC): An EOC is a centralized command center that supports key functions such as issuing alerts, coordinating evacuations, providing shelter, deploying resources and managing recovery efforts, all to ensure continuity of operations during large-scale emergencies.

The facility was also designed with sustainability in mind. It features energy-efficient LED lighting that adjusts based on natural daylight, uses recycled water in plumbing fixtures, and includes UV lights in the heating and cooling system to reduce harmful microorganisms and extend the lifespan of the system. Together, these innovations helped reduce water use by 46% and cut long-term operating costs, ensuring the county’s public health infrastructure remains strong for years to come.

“This project is a true example of what can be accomplished when the right team comes together with a shared purpose,” says Lewis. “From day one, we were aligned with the county’s mission, and through trust, innovation and hard work, we delivered a facility that will protect public health for decades to come.”

Bringing multiple departments and services together in one sustainable space enhances both daily operations and emergency response, enabling the county to serve the community more effectively.

The OC Health Care Agency Campus on Marine Way stands as a testament to the design-build teams' dedication to helping Orange County promote health, safety and wellness for generations to come.