For more than 130 years, Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California, has been at the forefront of medical innovation. When the hospital set out to modernize and expand its surgical department, Universal Metro, Inc. (UMI) was honored to play a key role in delivering a state-of-the-art facility that meets the demands of next-generation surgical care.

From the initial design-build phase, Universal Metro partnered closely with Mannington Commercial, Abbott Construction, and HDR Architects to bring this vision to life. The project aimed to create one of the most advanced surgery departments on the West Coast—balancing design aesthetics, precision installation, and strict compliance with California healthcare construction standards (HCAI/OSHPD).

Project & Design Strategy

The Huntington Memorial Hospital surgery flooring remodel design was not just a finish—it was a foundation for precision medicine. Universal Metro worked diligently to deliver every element within budget, from standard resilient installations to highly specialized, detail-driven finishes.

Key installation elements included:

• ARDEX Self-Leveling Underlayment – Used to meet Huntington Hospital’s exacting flatness and leveling requirements for surgical tables and da Vinci robotic equipment, ensuring stability and precision for advanced surgical systems.

• Premier Self-Coving with Butterfly Corners – Crafted by UMI’s skilled installers, these seamless transitions between floor and wall create hygienic, easy-to-clean environments essential to infection control.

• Heat-Welded Seams – Provide a watertight barrier that prevents bacterial growth and supports long-term durability in sterile operating rooms.

The $650,000 flooring installation featured a combination of solid homogeneous sheet vinyl in sterile areas—selected for its seamless, resilient surface—and heterogeneous wood-visual vinyl in recovery areas to promote warmth, comfort, and patient well-being. Together, these materials balanced functionality and aesthetics, reflecting Huntington’s patient-first design philosophy.

Unique Installation Challenge & Strategy

Delivering the Huntington Memorial Hospital surgery flooring remodel during the height of the pandemic presented extraordinary challenges. As mandates shifted daily across California, construction schedules required constant adaptation.

Crew sizes were restricted by six-foot distancing rules, and frequent quarantines caused unexpected disruptions. Despite these obstacles, Universal Metro maintained productivity by working overnight and off-hours, allowing safe access and steady progress.

At the same time, UMI faced one of the most technically demanding issues of the project—subfloor elevation discrepancies of up to two inches in critical operating rooms. With Universal Metro’s Ardex LevelMaster Elite Installer certification, our team was uniquely qualified to find a compliant, lasting solution.

Working in collaboration with HDR Architects, UMI re-shot all floor elevations, then scrabbled and ground the slab as much as two inches lower before pouring a new, perfectly flat ARDEX surface. This precision-leveling work ensured the new imaging and surgical equipment could operate on an absolutely flat foundation—a crucial requirement in any surgical environment.

Over the course of three weeks, the flooring team executed this complex correction—all while adhering to pandemic safety protocols and maintaining project timelines. The result was a surface engineered for both durability and precision, completed under some of the toughest conditions the construction industry has faced.

Collaboration That Drove Success

This remodel exemplifies what can be achieved through collaboration and communication. UMI’s partnership with hospital leadership, the general contractor, the manufacturer, and the design team ensured every challenge was met with a coordinated solution.

Our ability to adapt to design changes, sequencing challenges, and scope adjustments—while maintaining compliance and craftsmanship—demonstrated the professionalism of both our installers and our management team. Every step reflected UMI’s dedication to healthcare flooring excellence and the trust placed in us by Huntington Health.

Results That Reflect a Higher Standard

The completed Huntington Memorial Hospital surgery flooring remodel stands as one of Southern California’s premier examples of precision healthcare construction. The project showcases how design, materials, and craftsmanship come together to create a functional, sterile, and visually cohesive environment—built to support life-saving work.

From seamless sheet vinyl to perfectly level substrates, every square foot represents a collaboration between innovation and experience.