The Sustainable Strategies Behind a Successful Health Care Design
A high-performance health care facility incorporates sustainable strategies from the ground up, from wall to wall, from floor to ceiling, and across the operational enterprise.
The 2016 Sustainability Benchmark Report released by GreenHealth showed that sustainability is rapidly becoming a design requirement of most health care organizations. Given health care’s escalating costs, it may appear surprising that the industry was interested in making what others claim is an expensive investment. Despite government policy changes and funding challenges, sustainability continues to gain traction in health care because of its congruence with the mission.
As a champion of health and wellness, it would be hypocritical to exclude from consideration the health of the physical space in which health care services are provided. Why wouldn’t health care providers invest in architectural features that enhance healing? Although there are many avenues where the sustainable design strategies align with the needs of health care, three key considerations include climate change mitigation, super chemicals, and green purchasing.