Architect Outlines Tips For Sustainable Healthcare Design
While sustainable building practices are found throughout the architecture and design industry, it is especially critical that they are incorporated in healthcare facilities.
It’s not a revolutionary concept to build green, yet facility designers and managers at healthcare facilities are often unsure how to embrace the concept. With tightening budgets, an uncertain economic future and an abundance of information to decipher, it can seem like a daunting task to go green.
However, by using information resources — such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s Web site and attending conferences and tradeshows — and engaging in discussions among project stakeholders, specifying green can become the standard.
Considering the Collaboration
Whether designing a new facility or renovating an existing one, it’s inevitable that challenges and questions will arise, which emphasizes the importance of open dialogue between designers and clients from the onset of the project.
An eco-charrette can promote open dialogue by bringing together all of the parties involved with planning to discuss the feasibility, associated costs and benefits of incorporating sustainable materials in the building process.
Sustainability ratings systems and supplementary research are integral elements in eco-charette sessions, which allow designers and clients to identify their green goal for the building, agree on clear and achievable objectives and determine how to best manage, measure and benchmark their building’s performance.
Setting common goals with the LEED system as a guideline can improve the planning process and help to avoid miscommunication. The Green Guide for Health Care can also simplify how to economically and efficiently incorporate green design concepts and the Greenguard Environmental Institute’s Web site is a source for educational articles, presentations and other helpful tools on creating healthy indoor environments.
Conferences and trade shows provide additional insight into the green building movement and allow designers to talk firsthand with manufacturer representatives.
Sustainable Ideas
Many manufacturers have embraced green concepts, which has increased the accessibility of products and information. This makes obtaining sustainable solutions easier and also helps keep costs at a competitive level.
While there are many facets for green design and construction, some simple guidelines for specifying healthy environments include:
Flooring: For areas where a carpeted surface is desired, choose products that utilize PVC-free backing and incorporate recycled content. In spaces that require hard surfacing, consider resilient options such as rubber, which is also PVC-free and qualifies as a renewable material.
Painted surfaces: Use water-based, low-VOC paints.
Casework: Incorporate metal with recycled content, wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and laminate with a formaldehyde-free substrate and low-VOC adhesive.
Countertops: Consider recycled solid surface materials or stainless countertops for their durability and ease of maintenance.
Ceilings: Options such as painted gypsum board should be considered. In some cases, a sealed and gasketed lay-in may be used, but be sure to check what material is used in the recycled content.
Electrical/Plumbing/HVAC: Conserve energy by using Energy Star labeled products; they can save 10 percent to 15 percent on utility costs. Use water efficient appliances and low-energy/high-efficiency HVAC systems to achieve higher air quality.
Furnishings: Key items to look for are recycled content in fabrics, products with long lifecycles and components that can be recycled after their useful life.
Landscaping: Integrate water-recovery and water-wise landscaping.
Waste: Create a feasible waste management program, recycling as much as possible.
Energy: Use renewable energy sources to reduce costs over the lifetime of the building.
When exploring choices for finish materials such as surfacing, designers and specifiers need to also consider the product’s durability. Material must be able to withstand the impact of heavy traffic from patients and visitors, gurneys and rolling carts.
Planners must also consider the antimicrobial properties of finish materials, the product’s lifecycle and if installation and maintenance methods are environmentally friendly. If harsh chemicals are needed for cleaning, the product might not be environmentally friendly.
In addition, consider using the orientation of the building for daylight harvesting, and plan for healing spaces such as roof gardens and patio spaces. Incorporating soothing, natural colors in the interior décor can also enhance the comfort of visitors, patients and staff.
Marcia Conrad, AIA, LEED AP, is an architect in the healthcare studio at Moody Nolan Inc., an architecture, interior design and civil engineering firm based in Columbus, Ohio, that specializes in healthcare, higher education, sports/recreation, and public service.