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By Nancy B. Solomon, AIA

In health care, however, the client is not the only one who has to be convinced: The designs for Discovery Health Center had to be reviewed by New York State’s Department of Health to ensure that the facility would meet the more stringent life-safety codes required for medical facilities and to receive approval for the cost of construction, which is governed in large part by reimbursement rates within the state.

According to Guenther, the Department of Health was concerned about establishing a statewide precedent for construction cost premiums for green features, so it undertook a rigorous financial review. The department initially rejected the idea of a geothermal system, despite the fact that it would pay for itself in 10 to12 years, because the technology would increase the total cost by almost 2 percent. Fortunately, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority offered a grant that reduced the premium to less than 1 percent, thereby shortening the payback period to a standard 3-to-5-year time frame.

 

At the Discovery Health Center, rainwater flows into a trough (above), which is both an irrigation system and a holding tank for the fire-suppression system.

The ground-source heat-pump system was the only energy-reduction strategy that had a measurable effect on the overall cost of construction. Energy savings were also achieved through a highly insulated building envelope, solar shading and daylighting techniques, and high-efficiency motors, fixtures, and lighting controls. The building uses about 25 percent less energy than does a standard facility of this type, resulting in operational savings of approximately $18,000 to $20,000 per year at current energy costs.

The 28,000-square-foot Patrick H. Dollard Discovery Health Center opened in April 2003. That same year, it became the first recipient of the Vista Sustainable Building Award, a program run by ASHE in conjunction with AIA’s Academy of Architecture for Health. The firm is currently seeking LEED certification.