Hospitals Get a Checkup of Their Own
Get ready for another update on green architecture in industries! Today we’re looking at health care industry, specifically green hospital construction.
If you’ve ever heard that going to the hospital can make you sick or sicker, it’s not far from the truth. The structure of the building itself, including construction materials, flooring, and furniture, can be filled with toxic chemicals. This makes it harder for people with already compromised immune systems to get and stay healthy.
“Studies show that patient in green hospitals have greater emotional well-being, require less pain medication and other drugs, and have shorter hospital stays,” says Gail Vittori, a coauthor of Sustainable Healthcare Architecture. Because of this, the Brigham and Women’s Hospital will be featuring large windows to allow more natural light into their new 136-bed cardiac care center.
Another hospital taking the lead in green architecture is Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. One of the greenest, most healthful hospitals in the U.S., it features safe building materials, energy-efficient lighting, and ventilation. There are six courtyards, a 30,000-square-foot indoor garden, views of the outdoors, and operable windows. Outdoor open space includes a 3-acre healing garden with a reflecting pond and waterfall that use recycled water. The Dell Children’s Medical Center is on target to earn a LEED-Platinum rating. Those benefiting from this hospital’s green approach to health care include the environment, the staff, and the thousands of children who will get better faster in this state-of-the-art facility.
If you would like more information on green design in the health care industry please go to our pod cast and if you want more information on green architecture please go to our website at EDRA.org. Thank you for reading and check back next week for the next post!
EDRA advances and disseminates behavior and design research toward improving understanding of the relationships between people and their environments.