Foam for the Fabulous

Spray Foam Magazine – Fall Issue 2019 – The United States is a melting pot of cultures from all around the world. Individuals from different walks of life each bring a little piece of home as they make their new life here. Along with this transition comes new styles, influences, and ideas. A prime example of this is a not-so-hidden gem of India nestled away in Tampa, Florida. Welcome to the Patel Estate.

Dr. Kiran Patel is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon known for developing a procedure used to gain access to the heart via the wrist instead of entering through the groin. He was raised in Zambia and attended medical school in India, where he met his future wife, now Dr. Pallavi Patel, before moving to the United States to finish their training. To date, Patel has zero deaths associated to his procedure and his work and studies are well-known amongst the medical community.

In addition to saving lives, Patel is also a gracious philanthropist. In the past, he has built hospitals in India and Zambia, as well as given donations to his local community, including $200 million to Nova Southeastern University and $26 million to the University of South Florida. Dr. Kiran Patel stated, “I prioritized. My philanthropy came first, then I focused on myself.”

Spray Foam Magazine spoke with Mark Gordos, owner of On The Mark Spray Foam Insulation, who was contracted for the installation of insulation for the massive project, for some insight on this extravagant venture. According to Gordos, “Because of the size of the complex, our portion of the job was done in multiple phases over a couple of years. The two biggest challenges we faced were meeting the deadlines they would give us, two to three days to spray 60,000 board feet, as well as fighting off other trades who would damage the envelope requiring repairs. The contractors were good at keeping the trades away for the most part, which made for the foam to be laid down quickly when it was time to spray. ”  

Gordos’s crew used multiple levels of scaffolding and lifts to reach higher ceilings. The crew were strict of safety measures making sure that each member wore harnesses for safety protection whilst on the higher platforms. They also used negative air pressure to ventilate while they sprayed.

Gordos recalls, “The prep was extensive due to the many windows to protect.”

Patel has built an 80,000+ square foot home, the largest in Hillsborough County (Carrollwood, Florida), for him and his family. The project has been under construction since March 2013. The main home opens with a broad stairway leading to a 15,300 square foot grand hall. The designs for the main structure, and its adjoining single-family homes, came directly from India. In 2003, Patel paid $3,200,000 for the seventeen acres of land. Besides the pink sandstone imported from India, most of the materials found in the compound came from local sources. The home was designed as a palace in the Mughal style, which is a fusion of Persian, Islamic, and Indian architecture. Although the outside has a more traditional look, the family wanted a more modern, American feel inside. Patel would ultimately, one day, like to have three generations of his family living in one place.

For this job, Graco’s R2, E30, and H30 equipment were used. An SES Foam spray foam system was sprayed per the customer’s request including eight inches of R30 open-cell on the roof deck and two inches of R13 closed-cell on every wall of the structure. Typically, six-man teams were needed when the larger phases were ready to be worked on, but, at times, a single man could handle the touch ups.

It took a year and a half, in many segments, for Gordos and his team to complete their contribution to the job. Gordos remarks, “It has been a long journey, but this truly is an amazing project. It was made possible by guys like Philip Cannon, Jason Moy, and Anthony Pasanisi. Their commitment to excellence and quality allowed us to meet every deadline.”

Patel says, “Without family there is nothing. When you come on this earth, your assets really are your family.” It is clear to see Dr. Kiran Patel puts family first and also enjoys giving back to his community. The size of his home pales in comparison to the size of his heart.