According to Stanford Children’s Health, the expansion will include six new surgical suites, a nuclear medicine department, three new imaging units, four diagnostic units including a cardiac “hybrid” angiography suite and more than 3.5 acres of healing gardens comprising native and adaptive vegetation.

“There are also several features that will make the new building friendlier for kids and their families,” according to Stanford Medical Magazine. “The sculptures in the garden outside the cafeteria will double as climbing structures — most of these, including an enormous wolf’s head fashioned from river rocks, have already been installed.”

The expansion will provide more access to innovative technology and top-of-the-line treatments as physicians continue to provide superior care to pediatric and obstetric patients. More than 800 physicians, surgeons, radiologists, nurses and parents have supported it, according to a hospital statement.

By making the hospital a more family-friendly place to be, the expansion will help to improve the lives of patients and their families by easing the stress of a hospital visit or long-term stay.

A story corner and broadcast studio will be included in the hospital design to make it easier for children to spend long hours waiting for family members who have been admitted, according to Stanford Medical Magazine. Each of the patient rooms will have a pull-out couch designed to sleep two people. The hospital believes these features will ease the tension associated with long-term or temporary hospital stays.

The hospital has also made an effort to improve the patient experience by selecting local and organic food choices to be served in the cafeteria and vending machines. Green housekeeping and a comprehensive recycling program will be put in place to help ensure waste is reduced.

By improving the quality of care, the hospital will also take on a more sustainable outlook. Outside, electric vehicle charging stations have been installed. Inside, water-efficient bathroom fixtures replace standard faucets and toilets. This will reduce potable water usage by 30 percent, according to a hospital statement. Rainwater, wastewater and condensation will be harvested to meet 100 percent of the irrigation needs for landscaping. This will help save more than 684,000 gallons of water per year.

To power the hospital, a renewable energy system has been put in place. This includes a wind turbine that will work to power a portion of the new renovation.

Perkins+Will, located in Chicago, and HGA Architects and Engineers, located in Minneapolis, are working on the design of the project. The Sobrato Family Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and corporate partners have contributed more than $250 million to the hospital.

The Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford officially opened its doors to the community in 1991. Since then, it has provided extraordinary care to infants, children and expectant mothers from the community.

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The new 6,100-square-foot green rooftop is the third and largest to be installed at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. The first, a 4,125-square-foot green rooftop was installed atop the Heart, Vascular and Lung Center and was LEED Gold certified in 2009. In 2011, a second, 3,000-square-foot rooftop garden was installed on top of the Cancer Center. Any property owner, commercial or otherwise, may want to consider creating a garden or recreational area on their rooftop. Having rubber roofing installed by the likes of Roofer’s Guild can provide a good supporting surface to build atop.

While the rooftop garden has both environmental and aesthetic appeal, it will also boost financial savings for the hospital. The extension of the roof life, energy conservation, enhanced public relations and conservation of the municipal septic systems will help the hospital’s financial stability. The Fremont Tower will also help the hospital save money. The new building was designed with a sustainable approach and includes efficient mechanical systems, the use of passive solar energy, and low-flow faucets, toilets and showers.

St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and Affinity Health System hope the new rooftop garden will also provide patients a good environment in which to heal. Affinity Health System has a mission and a vision for green health care and sustainability, and they urge staff to be responsible stewards of natural resources, according to a statement.

Hamill Green Abrahamson, with offices in Milwaukee, designed the rooftop garden. Minneapolis-based Craft Building Services LLC installed the garden. Bachman’s Inc., also based in Minneapolis, custom grew the green roof system as the regional LiveRoof licensee.

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The hospital finished transferring all of its patients from the old emergency room to the new facility, where private and larger rooms were waiting for them. The move was completed on Aug. 22. This has been a long-awaited project, which was first discussed seven years ago after voters approved a bond package to fund construction.

With the newly finished building, Dallas County received a 2.8 million-square-foot, 826-bed facility on a 64-acre lot. All of the beds are in private rooms that include their own bathroom and space for family and visitors. The facility includes more than $80 million of newly upgraded digital technology. This makes the hospital one of the most advanced facilities currently in the country — a significant upgrade from the old hospital.

The new building, which was designed by locally based HDR + Corgan, is LEED Gold certified. One of its key features is the windows made from low-iron glass. The tinted-gray windows are covered with a digitally printed pattern consisting of donors’ names and outlines of trees. These digital covers also help to beat Texas heat. The windows make the hospital the largest digitally printed glass building in the world.

Parkland Health and Hospital System administrators and decision makers kept the community in mind during design and construction. They used responsible financial strategies to build a state-of-the-art hospital, while creating new local jobs. Responsible spending also allowed the hospital officials to invest money back into the community. Although bond proceeds primarily funded the hospital, it also included $150 million in philanthropic donations and almost $400 million in cash reserves.

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The addition of a second building doubled the size of the hospital. PCL Constructors, Canada Inc. worked with B+H Architects to expand and enhance lab space to allow for more automated test results. Together the companies transformed the old Emergency Center into a new Cancer Center and designed two sets of operating centers. Building A has been designed for one-day procedures and includes 6 new operating rooms. Building B has 10 new operating rooms that have been reserved for larger and more serious cases. This new space has the ability to use minimally invasive technology for surgeries.

The new building will be a “calm, simple building without a lot of details,” said Suman Bahl, vice president of corporate services and capital development at Markham Stouffville Hospital, in a statement. The $400 million project was able to recycle 90 percent of the waste created by construction. PCL Constructors was able to divert the waste, such as concrete, metal, wood and drywall from going to landfills by using it in different parts of the hospital.

Construction, which began in December of 2010, was finished on August 20, 2014. Due to the process of obtaining LEED certification, the hospital was not certified as LEED Silver until a full year later. Some of the components added to the facility to help with the certification were a white roof membrane and green roof areas, exterior lighting designed to minimize light pollution and the installation of low-flow fixtures to reduce water usage throughout the hospital. Mike Wieninger, Vice President and district manager for PCL Constructors Inc. said, “By nature, hospitals require more air exchanges and water than typical buildings, making them more sophisticated to construct sustainably.” By installing the low-flow fixtures, PCL Constructors and the Markham Stouffville Hospital are going to be able to save 40 percent on water usage.

B+H Architects and PCL Constructors did not just focus on making the building sustainable and green after construction. During the project, 16 percent of the materials came from recycled content. The companies also tried to source locally with 31 percent of the material being manufactured and harvested with 800 km’s of the project or 2,400 km’s from the project if shipped by railway or water.

Markham Stouffville Hospital will be the first hospital in Ontario to build a central utility plant that supplies thermal energy, electricity and emergency power through the Markham District Energy, which will save them an estimated 37 percent on energy.

The hospital also wants to inform their staff on the importance of sustainability and what they will be able to do to help with energy savings. The former Intensive Care Unit has been converted into a learning center for the staff and is connected to the city’s Cornell Community Center. The staff at Markham Stouffville Hospital are still getting used to the new system and ways that they can achieve maximum efficiency.

While planning and building the new expansion the goal was to balance energy efficiency, patient comfort, and a healthy work environment. Bahl said, “We are proud to deliver on our promise of a green building as part of our pledge to provide enhanced care and a state-of-the-art work environment.” By building the expansion by LEED certifications, they were able to achieve the sustainable and comfortable environment they aimed for.

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Water Woes

Maintaining hospitals and health care facilities requires significant water and energy use. The water used in hospitals and other health care facilities represents 7 percent of the total water use in commercial and institutional facilities in the U.S., according to WaterSense, a partnership program with the Environmental Protection Agency. Depending on size, location and other factors, water use in health care facilities can range from 68,750 to 298,013 gallons per year per bed.

Restrooms are blamed for much of the burden. Domestic and restroom uses of water account for 35 percent of hospitals overall consumption of water beating out all other end-use categories, such as heating and cooling.

Hospital facility managers can benefit from environmental and efficiency standpoints by auditing water usage, making operational improvements and upgrading plumbing fixtures. A team of plumbers that specialize in hot water installation in Brisbane are also going to install a hot water system into the hospital restrooms.

Low-flow, water-conserving fixtures have become the standard in commercial restrooms. For example, while high-efficiency toilets use less water to flush waste, dual-flush toilets conserve water by using different amounts of water for various flushing needs. Most models use 1.6 gallons per flush (GPF) for solid waste and 0.8 gallons for liquid waste. This ensures that water isn’t wasted, as restrooms are using only what they need to. Some commercial companies even look to services similar to Robinsons Facilities Services (https://www.robinsonsfs.com) to help ensure that commercial facilities are equipped for repairs and inspections if needed, ensuring that they are able to save water.

For even greater water savings, ultra-low flow toilets and waterless urinals may be used, while sensor-activated flush meters are an option for controlling water use at peak times. The facility has been showing interest in changing to this new water-saving measure for some time, seeking the aid of a local plumbing service (visit now for more information). In addition to this, the plan may include tankless water heaters instead of the traditional water heater. Tankless water heaters concealed within the pedestal of lavatory systems are another way to increase efficiency. Much like your home, you’ll need to have a hot water tank to drive up efficiency, for more information, you may want to check out the Hot Water Heater Expansion Tank How They Work & Do You Need One. These tankless units to heat only the amount of hot water needed for each use, which eliminates wasting electricity to heat an entire hot water tank for restrooms.

Better Hygiene, Better Health

The CDC estimates that hospital patients in the United States acquire about 722,000 infections each year, which is equivalent to approximately one infection for every 25 patients. Germs that reside in restrooms exacerbate the situation, as a 2011 study at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville found that restrooms in three health care facilities yielded seven bugs that are responsible for two-thirds of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

Restroom design using updated and attractive hand-washing fixtures in addition to keeping a clean and well-maintained restroom environment can go a long way in helping to promote good hand hygiene by patients, staff and visitors.

Durable & Sustainable

Fixtures made of durable, natural and recycled materials are growing in popularity. One new example is a molded natural quartz material that can be sculpted into a range of design options and shapes. Composed of an eco-friendly resin made of soy and corn, natural quartz is Greenguard certified, virtually maintenance-free and doesnt require sealing or buffing. Its smooth, seamless finish also has a non-porous surface so it does not support microbial growth.

Hands-Free Fixtures

Touching conventional faucet handles, even after washing, recontaminates just-cleaned hands. Sensor-operated faucets, flush valves, soap dispensers and hand dryers help minimize touchpoints (faucet handles, door latches and damp areas) on germ-ridden restroom surfaces and reduce cross-contamination.

High-speed touchless hand dryers also promote hand drying with hygienic benefits but without excess paper waste, expense and extra maintenance. Newer models are also highly energy efficient, as they use 80 percent less electricity than older hand dryers, while drying hands in as little as 10 to 12 seconds.

Solid Surface

Lavatories made from smooth, non-porous solid surface material can help guard against dirt buildup, and the growth of mold or bacteria. Solid surface fixtures also feature an integrated bowl design that eliminates cracks and crevices in which microbes can hide and further helps prevent the spread of germs.

No matter what equipment is being specified for a hospitals or health care facilitys restroom, its essential to select high-quality durable restroom furnishings. Higher-quality washroom fixtures made of durable materials have hygienic qualities, are more resistant to wear and tear, and can significantly reduce upkeep and maintenance so staff can focus on other duties. While promoting hand-washing practices, these fixtures also save money on labor, materials and repairs costs over time.

Will Haas is product manager for Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based Bradley Corporation, a USGBC member and manufacturer of locker room products, plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, partitions and emergency fixtures.

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The hospital has four stories and was built using green building techniques and kept a holistic healing environment in mind. The goal of the construction project was to make the new hospital a community epicenter and landmark, to embody the soul and spirit of the hospital’s site and context, and to promote community wellness and health, according to Healthcare Design Practice Leader Paul Macheske, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP from HuntonBrady Architects. These “design drivers” were developed by a team of officials working with both the hospital and its user groups on the project.

Part of the hospital’s conscientious design involved creating a 20-year master plan that factors in potential growth from the current count of 50 beds to a maximum of 250. The hospital also contains a 26,000-square-foot emergency department and imaging center, which helps provide the most crucial services to the Castle Rock community. This center opened in 2012 as Phase I of the new hospital’s campus.

The construction of the hospital itself is Phase II of the project. The four-story hospital is full of natural light that will help promote not only unique spaces that enhance health and wellness, but also help cut down on the cost of artificial lighting.

The design team thought carefully about the layout of the facility. Circulation was a big factor impacting the hospital’s design, particularly regarding the flow of materials, staff and patients throughout the building. The design team ultimately ended up creating traffic-friendly spaces with a wide concourse, grand entrance, vertical circulation and numerous gathering spaces.

The architectural design also helps promote patient wellness. HuntonBrady used the mountain modern style of building design, a modern version of the Rocky Mountain architecture concept. The hospital, situated on a large ridge, is oriented toward the mountains to optimize the view and increase the natural atmosphere.

The hospital contains a community garden known as the Garden of Eatin’. Community members can rent one of the 90 plots available and meet in a positive healing environment to grow healthy food. The hospital’s Manna Restaurant, a full-service restaurant serving made-to-order meals uses produce from the garden.

Numerous green building principles specific to health care facilities characterize the hospital as well. “We designed the hospital to provide a healthy environment for patients, staff and visitors while reducing the life cycle operating expenses,” Macheske said.

The construction team utilized local stone and wood, and incorporated environmentally friendly glass and steel. Low-flow water fixtures increase water efficiency, and low-emitting paints, adhesives and flooring systems protect indoor air quality.

The hospital’s roofing and parking materials also help reduce the heat island effect and minimize the impact on microclimates, humans and wildlife habitats. The glass materials used for the windows feature shielded exterior light fixtures that reduce light pollution, and a large roof overhang minimizes the solar impact on patients’ rooms. The low-e double paned windows also help promote natural light while reducing heat inside the hospital.

Macheske cited the collaboration between the architect and hospital owner as the key to the hospital’s success. “This project was successful because of a very strong team that shared a common vision of elevating the idea of what a new hospital can do to impact health and wellness in the community,” he said.

In addition to HuntonBrady Architects, the project team included Orlando-based interior designers TJNG Partners and local companies including GE Johnson Construction Company, Mechanical Engineer CCRD Partners, MGA Structural Engineers, Civil Engineer S.A. Miro and Landscape Architect Norris Design.

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