In the 1950s, most hospitals were eerie places: Tiled walls, dimly lit hallways, gruff personnel. It would be tough to find such an old-style, stark facility in this country today, according to an article on the Gainesville Times website. Even among modern hospitals, some stand out for being built under sustainability principles.
Northeast Georgia Medical Center at Braselton, set for a 2015 opening, is working to earn LEED Gold status for health care.
“Before the patients can get healthy, the hospital needs to be healthy,” Rudy Lonergan, director of Facilities Development of Northeast Georgia Health System, said in the article.
“Adopting a ‘lean’ philosophy was first,” said Lonergan, “with the greatest energy efficiency possible. Heating and air are provided through geothermal systems. Hospitals are some of the highest users of energy, and this will keep costs in check.”
Water was another concern. The park landscape around the facility uses reclaimed “purple water” instead of drinking water from the tap. Parking lots with smart drains send water to the plants instead of the nearest creek.
Read the article.
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