The Quyanna Longterm Eldercare project, under the guidance of the Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC), involves the expansion of the existing Quyanna Care Center on the NSHC medical campus in Nome, Alaska. Our design team is committed to delivering top-notch design services for this crucial project. The planned expansion will introduce twelve additional beds, significantly enhancing the center’s capacity to provide extended eldercare services to the local community.
The primary challenges of this project are twofold: the building site’s remote location and the severe climatic conditions. Transporting materials and construction supplies requires a complex logistics operation. They must be shipped along Alaska’s west coast, starting from Anchorage’s port and culminating at the Nome landing site. This logistical complexity mandates strict adherence to specific deadlines by the design team. Their timely coordination is crucial for the CM/GC contractor to order materials and equipment, ensuring their placement on the barge within a narrowly defined time frame.
The expansion is taking shape in a challenging rural setting, where the maritime coast of western Alaska frequently faces harsh windstorms and significant temperature swings. To address these environmental challenges, the expansion is constructed with an exterior of insulated metal panels. This design choice allows for rapid interior sealing and offers the owner a building envelope with high energy efficiency, adept at enduring Nome’s bitterly cold winters.