Payette Architecture on Maternal Health Center Progress

Our partners at Payette Architecture have recently written about the progress on our new Maternal Health Center, now under construction in Fond des Blancs, Haiti. Their expertise is a valuable part of the design and construction team working to make this center possible. Sho-Ping Ching, a partner at Payette Architecture, writes the following:

“After several months of evaluating bids and value engineering under the leadership of Jim Ansara, former CEO of Shawmut Construction, SBH decided that in order to deliver the project within its available resources, they will have to general contract the project themselves. Besides the cost factor, access to skilled labor and equipment were other primary drivers to making this decision. After his successful delivery of the Partner in Health 200,000 SF Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais in Haiti last year, Jim organized several key players from the project’s implementation team to work on the Maternity Center. Furthermore, he also enlisted others from Boston to donate materials, time and expertise. For instance, a civil engineering professor and his class from UMASS Boston will be traveling to Fond des Blancs in March to direct the construction site work. Payette will continue to assist with design coordination during construction and assist in soliciting additional materials donations.”