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By Nancy B. Solomon, AIA

Alternative transportation was emphasized. “The regional transit system is quite good,” explains Ennis, “and the client already participated in its annual bus-pass program, which allows all employees to ride free at any time.” The hospital invested in the construction and maintenance of a new bus stop, which the city’s transit department initially dismissed as unnecessary but soon took over its upkeep when it became evident that the shelter was well used. The designers also encouraged employees to share rides by designating parking spaces for car pools, and to either bike or walk by installing bike racks, showers, and changing facilities. Such strategies, in addition to the hospital’s current parking practices at its downtown campus, convinced the city to grant a deferred parking waiver at the new campus. This meant that the hospital only had to pave 75 percent of the parking area normally required, although it also had to set aside sufficient space for the additional parking in case it is ever needed in the future.

 

Patrick H. Dollard Discovery Health Center, Harris, New York Guenther5 Architects incorporated many sustainable strategies, including testing nonchlorinated plastic floor tiles in another building to determine ahead of time how the product would perform on radiant slabs. The ground-source heat-pump system was the only energy-reduction strategy that had a measurable effect on the overall cost. Photography: © David Allee

In terms of material selection, the architects aimed for multiple environmental goals. With the exception of mechanical and electrical components, 55 percent of all building materials were manufactured locally, of which more than half were also harvested locally. In terms of materials with either postconsumer or postindustrial recycled content, the architects significantly exceeded the amount suggested by LEED. And, although admittedly a challenge, they were able to identify low-VOC and formaldehyde-free products that also satisfied standard hospital requirements, such as high durability and easy cleaning.

The design team minimized the amount of water needed for exterior use, in large part by specifying plantings that are native to Colorado and other semiarid regions. As a result, the landscape design is expected to consume 50 percent less water than is typical of such campuses in the state.