For the massive 235,000-sq-ft Merrimack County Nursing Home in New Hampshire, the geothermal source available nearby may not have been the fountain of youth, but it did prove key to the center’s “uber-green” mechanical system retrofit. See how the companies involved brought together 16 wells, over 300 water-to-air heat pumps, and the rest of the 615-ton system to serve this 290-bed facility.
Just what the doctor ordered: specifics on pre-filters, after-filters, AHU tips, and more to meet
critical IAQ goals and prevent that ventilation system from operating in a “fog.”
Where do health care facilities looking to up their sustainability profile start? Here, we shine
a light on expected sites and some lesser-known resources. Archived video from conferences,
toolkits for benchmarking, assessing a facility for CHP, general design guides, and even primers for executives looking to get the ball rolling … ideas and tips for good design and operations run a lot deeper than LEED®.
Here, our long-time forward-thinking columnist uses a common hospital scenario to walk you through the shift from Design-Bid-Build to an Integrated Project Delivery approach. See how the job can get done with similar personnel on a considerably shorter schedule, resulting in a greater team investment in the project’s success and yet more time to get on to other work.
Incorporating a plenum can have its design advantages, but corridors serving adjoining areas of health care occupancies are prohibited from being used for a portion of an air supply, air return, or exhaust air plenum. This article and its illustrations can strengthen your grasp of the related NFPA code details and exceptions so you can design and ventilate properly for this special population.
Low-speed fans provide needed ach at this remote mountain hospital. All buildings, regardless of age, are susceptible to IAQ deficiencies. Chemical exposure from new construction, tight building envelopes, and humidity