Jersey City Medical Center

Jersey City Medical Center is located blocks from the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City, New Jersey. It has devised a plan to harden its facility in the wake of the damage that it received during Hurricane Sandy in October of 2012. The design team of HOK and Thornton Tomasetti were charged with the task of producing a flood mitigation plan to renovate this essential healthcare facility. This team devised a plan to protect the facility well above and beyond the local requirements set forth by FEMA flood maps. Fenex and Floodproofing.com were brought in to supply new passive floodproof window systems that maintained the historical aesthetics of the building. Fenex manufactured 21 windows that were installed in ground floor openings and positioned under the design flood elevation. Each opening consisted of one solid 32”x144” or 62”x144” window where faux mullions were installed to create the architectural look to match the standard windows above. The solution of Fenex® Floodproof Window Systems were the perfect choice to protect the hospital staff and patients while keeping the natural light coming into the first floor spaces. These windows were engineered to withstand extreme flood depths and impacts from large floating objects including vehicles that might be parked on site. As this renovation project also provided a chance for the St. Barnabas team to give the facility a face lift, the windows were also manufactured with a decorative pattern that is captured between the glass laminate to provide some privacy as well as architectural presence within the façade envelope.