Thinking Green

Green building practices are a natural fit for patient-care environments that promote healing. However, LEED specifications (LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) do not yet include a healthcare category.

Why? Largely because it’s very difficult to balance green building standards with the other rigorous requirements healthcare facilities must satisfy, such as infection control. When you can’t find a recycled ceramic tile that’s easy to clean, then recycled isn’t an option.

In addition, healthcare systems are concerned about the cost of green design. It’s true that many of the technologies that support long-term energy savings can cost 10-20% more up front. One thing we do to help clients move toward greener practices is calculate life-cycle costs to show them how soon they will see a return on investment.

In addition, a lot of clients don’t realize that many green building materials don’t cost any more than traditional options. As WJE’s director of green building practices, I’m always looking for ways to lead our field toward a greener future, and WJE’s standard design specs already call for many building materials that would meet typical LEED qualifications.

One great example of this is air quality. LEED puts a major emphasis on controlling VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) released by many building materials. Obviously, this is an issue of great concern in healthcare environments. Alternate materials that reduce or eliminate VOCs often don’t cost any more than traditional materials, so we work with recycled materials and other options to address this issue. For instance, we are able to greatly reduce VOCs by using water-based rather than oil-based paint.

At WJE, we believe that green building is the right thing to do. Not only is it good for the environment – it’s also better for patients and the healthcare professionals who work in the facilities we design. Just because it isn’t required or regulated doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be doing all we can.

–Michael Andrascek