Changes in the healthcare industry have impacted the way healthcare facilities are designed and operated, according to an article on the EC & M website.
Obviously, lighting had changed also. The official reference for lighting guidelines is RP-29: Recommended Practice for Lighting Health Care Facilities. It has been updated to reflect these changes.
Since 2006 when the guidance was first published, LEED has progressed from version 2.0 to version 4 with LEED for Health Care introduced in 2011, which mandates an integrated design process as a prerequisite for health care facilities. Energy codes have become increasingly strict, and more projects are driven by a goal of zero net energy, the article said.
Plus, in 2014, the WELL Building Standard was introduced, which emphasizes health and well-being of building occupants.
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