Selection of the Knowledgeable Medical Architect for your MRI Imaging Center. - Module # 7

Architects, Builders and Remodeling Contractors, are specialists that have areas of specific experience that are all needed in the buildout of an MRI Imaging Center. It all starts with the interviews and selection of the Medical Architect that is necessary for the buildout of your MRI Imaging Center Project. It is my recommendation that you select an Architect to design and build out your MRI Imaging Center project site, or remodel your MRI project site, who has significant previous actual experience with the  design and buildout, or remodeling, of a MRI Imaging Center site. I know there are many highly skilled architects out there that do not have experience in the design and build of an MRI imaging Center, and we can certainly work with them on your behalf if necessary, as we have done elsewhere. However, I can tell you from experience, the learning curve will be less and the discussions easier, if from the beginning, you retain a Medical Architect with significant experience in the design and buildout of MRI imaging facilities. In addition, some architects will have design experience with larger hospital imaging site design, but have no experience in the siting of an MRI in a smaller non hospital medical office building or private practice office setting, or in the remodeling of a commercial building for the placement of an MRI unit, where the building was not initially designed to accommodate an MRI unit.

The MRI Imaging Center Client should ideally seek to retain an architect who has actually designed and built out, or remodeled, an MRI site like the one you require. We routinely work closely with extremely well regarded Medical Architects and can recommend their specific services. We have significant experience working  closely with Medical Architects on behalf of the client who require an MRI Imaging Center and get design build questions, and construction questions ,resolved very quickly and before they become a problem or added expense.

The final Medical Architect under consideration for the design and build of your MRI Imaging Center, should have familiarity with MRI related; Electromagnetic Interference, Structural Engineering requirements, MRI chiller placement,  Subsurface and concrete nonferrous metal considerations, RF shielding and Magnet room build out requirements, Vibration and Seismic Testing, Soil compaction testing, Magnetic Gauss field design considerations and associated limitations for building equipment placement (NEC requirements) and ensuring employee and patient safety, and Cryogen Venting design, safety and build out considerations.

Design and Build issues related to MRI Imaging Center site planning, Structural Considerations, Image Quality Considerations, and RF Shielding, Vibration and EMI Interference specifications, are not insignificant. Inexperienced site planning and design can result in possible errors and rework, some of them can be quite unfortunate, some can be unnecessarily expensive, time consuming, and possibly dangerous. In the design and build process for an MRI Imaging Center, you do not want rework, compromised employee, building visitor, and patient safety issues, image quality issues, and you cannot afford failure to meet regulatory guidelines. In the design and build process for an MRI Imaging Center, we work to keep project delays and failure from occurring, and avoid rework by facilitating the process of employing a knowledgeable Medical Project Architect, with specific experience in the design and buildout of an MRI Imaging Center, and the utilization of a solid OAC (Owner, Architect, Contractor) design and build model. 

Discussion of the work to be accomplished by the Architect under consideration should include a  breakdown of the fees they will be charging, the intervals in which they will be charging you their  various fees, and the work product they will be delivering related to their fee payment intervals. The Architect should discuss their adherence to AIA standards and an Associated Standard Form of Agreement Between the client Owner and the Architect, that will be utilized. The professional references for the Architects being interviewed, and their work in the MRI Imaging Center project area, can and should be made clear, and verified. Preliminary timelines for the build out of the MRI project can be provided by your architect when they are engaged in the project.

And it will be important to know if your lead architect is also going to provide on-site construction review as well, or will you have to utilize the services of another on site architect as well.

In my experience, it is not more expensive to hire an architect with MRI Imaging Center Project Experience, than it is to hire the same tenure level AIA Architect that does not have MRI Imaging Center Project design and build Experience.

In the design and build of an MRI Imaging Center and the decision to hire a knowledgeable Medical Architect to do so, I offer the guidance of an advertising mantra used in other business sectors, which  applies here; If you think the price of education is expensive, you should see the price of ignorance…………

In this Consultation and Assistance Module we will address

• Collaborating with the client to identify and assist with the interview process for competent Architect Candidates. Provide Interview criteria to assess Architect Candidate experience, familiarity and possible competency in the design/build process for an MRI Imaging Center. Identify and obtain references from previous clients the Architect had done similar projects for in the past.
• How and where an Owner Consultant can provide real value in working with the Architect on behalf of the owner client and in the OAC (Owner, Architect, Contractor) construction meetings.
• What might a client experience in working with an Architect who has MRI Imaging Center Project experience, then in working with an Architect that does not have this additional experience.
• Understanding the pricing structure and payment amounts and percentages, for the various stages of work to be accomplished by your Architect.
• How to work with and negotiate fee amounts, payment percentages, and intervals for payment, with your Architect. What does a reasonable fee agreement and structure look like?
• Understanding and intelligently sorting through the sometimes detailed, Architect AIA agreement and where it works on your behalf and where it should be modified as needed to work on your behalf.