[Greenbuilding] [BULK] green built hospitals?

[Steve Hussey]

Building a green 'anything' isn't just about low/zero energy. It's  
also about providing convenient access to public transport, site  
location, passive solar to reduce heating load requirements,  
increased natural ventilation/cooling, increased indoor air/ 
environmental quality, better use of sustainable resources, reducing  
out gassing from 'bad' materials, better views for patients, more  
'harmonious' patient rooms, better facilities for staff etc. There'll  
likely never be a net zero energy hospital but there are number that  
are much better places to be recovering or working in. Eco-structure  
magazine covered a few, you might be able to find some references to  
them at www.eco-structure.com.

many studies have shown that people heal faster in an environment  
that's more 'friendly' to both the soul and environment.
HTH


Steve Hussey
Natural Resources Planner
San Juan Islands Conservation District

www.sanjuanislandscd.org
mailto:s.hussey at sanjuanislandscd.org


On Jul 18, 2007, at 6:19 AM, Lawrence Lile wrote:

> Here is why you don't hear much about Green hospitals:  Hospitals use
> more energy and resources than any other type of building I can think
> of.  I do a lot of work in hospitals.  Believe me, they are concerned
> about energy, but they have to be ready 24 hours a day, they have to
> have emergency generators and a complete backup of everything, they  
> have
> to have infection control, they have to have 100% outside air
> ventilation in critical areas, in other words there isn't much room  
> for
> efficiency.