Community South ER achieves green building status
Posted on November 3rd, 2008 No Comments »
Community Hospital South’s emergency room expansion project has been awarded LEED NC Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the USGBC’s leading rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient and high performing buildings. Community Hospital South is the first hospital to receive gold certification in the state of Indiana.
The emergency room construction, which was completed in August of 2007, expanded the facility from 11,000 to 30,000 square feet, including 26 all-private patient rooms equipped with the most advanced emergency technology; trauma rooms for the most critical trauma needs; a comfortable waiting area; and an enclosed bay that can accommodate four ambulances. It was designed by Schmidt Associates to achieve LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use.
What made the Community Hospital South emergency room project eligible for LEED certification? Here is a quick rundown:
- A heat recovery process using approximately 22 percent less energy than the baseline established by the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
- Pollutant removal process for storm water
- Water-efficient landscaping
- Reduced water usage through automatic fixtures, low-flow lavatories and dual-flush toilets
- Refrigeration systems that use no ozone-depleting refrigerants
- Daylight harvesting, combined with use of dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs and occupancy sensors
- Spaces and fixtures for collecting and storing recyclables
- Bike racks and nearby bus lines that create alternative transportation options
- Use of regionally produced construction materials, including brick, steel, glass, and hardwood veneers, to reduce cost and energy consumption associated with shipping
- More than 10% of construction products created from recycled and sustainable materials
- Recycling more than 50% of the construction waste
Visit our Web site to learn more about Community Hospital South’s green initiatives.
