VA/DOD Major General Gourley Outpatient Clinic

The new Major General William H. Gourley VA DOD Outpatient Clinic is part of the VA Palo Alto Healthcare System and was built as a joint commitment between Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to find innovative ways to address the healthcare needs of a growing veteran population in the Monterey area. The facility was designed to provide primary and specialty care, medical and surgical sub-specialty clinics, mental health care, audiology, physical and occupational therapy, ancillary and diagnostic services.

3QC served as LEED and Environmental Design Consultant and Commissioning Authority for the new 150,000 SF facility. The project team incorporated federal mandates for sustainability and energy reduction by employing integrated design principles, energy performance optimization, water conservation, indoor environmental quality, and reduction of environmental impact of materials. The building’s placement and orientation maximizes day lighting opportunities, as well as heating and cooling to reduce energy consumption. High performance HVAC equipment suited for the local climate provides a continuous, replenished air source that is both healthier for the occupants and significantly reduces the building energy consumption.

As part of our commissioning services, 3QC performed design review specific to the building enclosure, and completed site observation of construction and testing in accordance with AAMA 501.2 standards for water leakage testing. Key elements of the enclosure included the foundation waterproofing, slab on grade vapor barriers, curtain walls, storefronts, doors, rain screens, water/air barriers, sealants, flashings, seismic joints, and roofing.

3QC’s staff made significant contributions to the project during the design phase through peer review of the mechanical design system as well as review and test witness of building enclosure systems. We worked with the design engineer to optimize the HVAC control sequences for easier installation, programming and maintenance. 3QC also teamed with the installing subcontractors to identify quality standards early, leading pre-installation meetings to clarify requirements and reduce rework. The project achieved LEED Gold certification.