The Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology (CASIT) is a UCLA research facility located in the Ronald Reagan Medical Center on the UCLA campus in Westwood. Our firm was engaged to provide programming, planning, construction documents and construction administration for improvement of an unoccupied (shelled) space to house the CASIT Theatre/Virtual Training Center, a conference room, kitchen/utility spaces, administrative offices and storage area.
Given the highly specialized nature of CASIT, we designed the space to provide an elegant, modern context for the sophisticated technologies with which the Center is equipped—such as the robotic Da Vinci surgical platform, telemedicine tools and surgical simulators. We also provided a viewing area for the simulator that accommodates standing or seated viewers.
At a construction cost of $1.5 million, work included comprehensive physical improvements: new walls, ceiling, flooring, lighting and HVAC to provide a finished, flexible and highly functional space. Because of its location in the Ronald Reagan Medical Center, approval from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) was also necessary.