UW Health at The American Center In Madison is the first healthcare facility in Wisconsin to earn LEED gold certification, according to an article on the Sun Prairie Star website.

The American Center as one of 17 buildings in the world and one of 10 in the U.S. that have gold-level certification in healthcare.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) bases its certifications on a range of categories, including sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation in design.

For instance, a rooftop garden’s use of outdoor space, including walking paths for patients and staff, helped The American Center earn the gold.

Other features at The American Center that were ranked highly in the process include bike storage at the site and changing rooms with showers so staff members can bike to work, shower and change clothes. Plus, the facility’s parking lot lights are directed downward to minimize light pollution.

The facility’s open space is also maximized to be water-efficient, with no need for irrigation. There are also walking paths for patients and staff on the hospital grounds.

Inside the building, the design emphasized keeping enough fresh air throughout the building to increase air quality.

Building materials were drawn from sources as close as possible to Wisconsin to be more sustainable.  And 77 percent of construction waste was diverted away from landfills through recycling and reuse.

Read the article.