Green Design for Healthcare
It is reported that buildings consume over one fourth of the total energy used in the United States. With climate change and global warming being major issues for the society, it is imperative that architects and engineers and their clients look for ways to reduce the harm to the environment caused by many things associated with buildings including the way they are designed, constructed and operated. The emphasis on “green design” is becoming that imperative in the U.S. and in many other countries in the world. Many government agencies, building owners and operators are insisting that their buildings reduce harm to the environment by incorporating principles of green design. Hospitals are among the largest consumers of energy both in their operations and their construction. Progress is being made by owners, architects, engineers, interior designers, and construction contractors to produce more environmentally friendly facilities for the good of the environment and for the health and safety of the occupants who use these facilities.
China is rapidly approaching the U.S. and other developed countries in its use of energy and in its impact on the environment. The Chinese government has recognized this and has set an ambitious goal to reduce the energy consumption of buildings dramatically in the near future through principles of “green design”, and this is the topic of many conferences throughout the country. This has a major impact on hospitals, because most of the Chinese hospitals do not currently approach the level of energy consumption as their US counterparts, but they will be increasing rather than decreasing their energy use as they modernize to keep up with modern concepts of healthcare design and building technology. Therefore the goal for China hospital design should be to reduce the increase in impact on the environment through appropriate strategies of green design rather than attempting to reduce the amount of energy currently consumed.
The most widely used methods for achieving green design in the U.S. are set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). This offers certification process whereby points are given for specific factors in building design, construction, and operations. Each project is first registered with the Council and after the design and construction are complete and the building been in operation for a period of time, LEED certification may be granted at various levels including:
Registered
Silver
Gold
Platinum
There are differing opinions about the cost impact on design and construction; most estimates range from 1% to 3% increase in costs to achieve LEED certification depending on the level achieved. However, there is no dispute that a LEED certified building reduces the impact on the environment and energy consumption. Consequently many private and public building owners are requiring that their new and/or renovated buildings achieve LEED certification.
The Maine General Hospital’s Outpatient Cancer Center is a project under design that has been registered with USGBC with a goal of achieving Silver LEED certification. Located in the northeast part of the United States Maine is a State that is “green” at its heart. It is a state filled with natural beauty and it was easy to convince the client to build a green building. The facility is a special building dedicated to the treatment of cancer patients outside of the normal hospital setting. All patients are outpatients, so there are no facilities for staying over night, and the building does not operate 24 hours a day like a hospital. The building is set in nature to create a healing environment and to reduce the stress of patients, families, and staff dealing with this catastrophic illness.
The building is designed to bring in abundant daylight which reduces the use of artificial lighting in many areas. Specific points being sought for LEED certification are:
- Alternative Transportation, Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms
- Reduced Site Disturbance, Protect or restore Open Space
- Reduced Site Disturbance, Development Footprint
- Storm water Management, Rate & Quantity (Reflection pond)
- Storm water Management, Treatment (filters)
- Landscape & Exterior Design to Reduce Heat Islands, Non-Roof (minimize pavement, use pervious pavement products)
- Landscape & Exterior Design to Reduce Heat Islands, Roof (White roof membrane)
- Light Pollution Reduction (conscientious exterior light fixture selection, no up-lighting)
- Water Efficient Landscaping, Reduce by 50% (plant types)
- Water Efficient Landscaping, No Potable Use or No Irrigation (use of retention pond for irrigation)
- n.
- Optimize Energy Performance (2 points, New Building, energy cost savings 14% compared to ASHRAE STD 90.1)
1. (Evaporative Cooled Chiller (in lieu of air cooled for increased energy performance)
2. Variable Frequency Drives used to control hot water and chilled water systems (saving pump energy)
3. Additional controls related to the VFD’s on the chilled and hot water systems.
4. Occupancy sensors.
5. Increased insulation R-value, High performance curtain wall)
- Additional Commissioning (via third party commissioning agency)
- Ozone Depletion (No CFC refrigerants)
- Measurement & Verification (Electrical metering to promote and monitor the efficient use of systems and equipment. This might include meters on main circuit breakers of switchboards, distribution panel boards, lighting panel boards, as well as motor starters, VFD’s, and other mechanical and plumbing loads)
- Green Power (owner to contract with utility)
- Construction Waste Management, Divert 50% (CM protocol)
- Construction Waste Management, Divert 75% (more extensive CM protocol)
- Recycled content, Specify 5% [post-consumer + ½ post-industrial] (for specified items like steel, ACT, gyp, concrete)
- Recycled content, Specify 10% [post-consumer + ½ post-industrial] (for specified items like steel, ACT, gyp, concrete)
- Local/Regional Materials, 20% Manufactured Locally (specified items like brick, copper, stone [products that have been extracted, processed, harvested within 500 miles of project site, MEP not included])
- Local/Regional Materials, of 20% Above, 50% Harvested Locally (specified items like brick, copper, stone [products that have been extracted, processed, harvested within 500 miles of project site, MEP not included])
- Construction IAQ Management Plan, During Construction (in specification, CM responsibility)
- Construction IAQ Management Plan, Before Occupancy (in specification, CM responsibility, specific measurements & building “flush-out” requirements)
- Low Emitting Materials, Adhesives, Sealants, Paints, Carpet, Composite Wood & Agrifiber
- Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source Control (entry mat systems, negative pressure relationships, specific/added filter requirements)
- Thermal Comfort, Comply with ASHRAE 55-1992 (individual controls of 50% of occupants)
- Thermal Comfort, Permanent Monitoring System (integrate in BAC system, added CO2 sensors in conference room and return main ducts)
- Innovation in Design (the team is formulating ideas around this. It has been recommended to use GGHC Innovation ideas as a guide here. We consider one innovation idea to be direct access and views to nature as well as a calm and soothing, “spa-like” interior contributing to patient well being and a healing environment.
There are many features that are routinely ｐａｒｔ of China hospital designs that would be considered green design in other countries.
- Most hospitals are located near public transportation and do not require as much automobile parking.
- Parking that is provided is mostly underground reserving the surface for green space.
- A large amount of bicycle parking is provided along with lockers and showers for staff.
- Buildings are oriented and designed to maximize the amount of natural light.
- Landscaped roofs are not uncommon. These can reduce the amount of heat reflected into the environment and provide access to outdoors for patients in the hospital. They also help to absorb water and reduce run-off.
One of the biggest challenges facing green design for healthcare in China is dealing with the energy use and mechanical and electrical systems in hospitals. These systems are years behind other developed countries in providing for comfort and safety of the occupants and for proper infection control. The typical air conditioning system used involves fan coil units which are high in maintenance and energy use and do not provide for proper air balance, humidity controls, and infection control. Hospitals should be completely air conditioned, and to do so will require much higher use of energy and potentially more impact on the environment. New hospitals should include modern systems similar to those in the US in order to minimize the increased impact on the environment. This requires not only the equipment and systems for HVAC, electrical, and plumbing but also increased structural floor-to-floor heights to accommodate these systems. Only then can hospitals in China become truly “Green”.
TRO Jung|Brannen is an international architectural, engineering, and interior design firm with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts and a Representative Office in Beijing. The firm and its predecessor, JMGR, has been planning and designing hospitals in China since 1993 in many cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Chengdu, Xiamen, Chongqing, Nanjing, and Shenzhen.
2008-05-05 23:42:03 | Read the blog article(162)
