Commercial Architecture September 2017 - 11

FEATURE

on schedule with highly energy-efficient components.

green healthcare facilities to patient health outcomes.

healthy hospitals

interact with the surrounding nature," she explained.

Balancing life-cycle costs with equipment costs can yield

"EwingCole's embedded research team works with

"The building is surrounded by a series of landscapes,

paybacks of less than eight years, and the annual savings

our healthcare studio on a regular basis to support and

including structured upper and lower gardens and a wet-

from these kinds of moves and others, like envelope up-

guide design decisions and evaluate facility performance

land meadow for viewing and visiting. A variety of in-

grades, can yield major operational savings. After smart

by a variety of metrics once buildings are complete and

door rooms within the center's 300-foot-long lobby are

improvements are made to the existing infrastructure,

in use. We regularly consider research on this topic in two

defined by skylights and low-hanging chandeliers and

some healthcare systems, like California-based Kaiser

primary areas," Papiez said.

ceiling elements to allow patients, family, and caregivers

Permanente, are opting to buy clean energy. As tax incen-

"First, the positive impacts of nature on wellness and

to engage the gardens while waiting. Several small out-

tives disappear for solar and other renewables, the invest-

healing are well documented. Physiological markers such

door courtyards are contained within the building foot-

ment in this becomes more challenging for some health-

as heart rate, stress reduction, and attention restoration

print to provide access to natural views and daylight from

care systems," he said.

are several of the ways in which health impacts, based on

interior portions of the cancer center as well. The build-

There are healthcare systems such as Gundersen Lu-

the incorporation of nature into healthcare facilities, are

ing design and material palette are minimal to support

theran in Lacrosse, WI, that continue to lead in the area

evaluated," she said. "While an understanding of the

views to the natural environment outside."

of health systems using renewable energy, Guillot said.

therapeutic benefits of nature is not new, Roger Ulrich's

Some years ago, the healthcare system set a goal of

1984 study, published in Science, is often cited as among

BIOPHILIC DESIGN AIDS HEALING

achieving energy independence by 2014. By 2009 it had

early research on this topic. It showed that recovery times

In addition, biophilic design principles, based on the

already made progress toward that goal, saving over $1

were faster and pain medication use was lower in surgery

notion of healing within a natural environment, drove

million in energy costs alone," he noted.

patients that had a window view to a wooded area versus

the design of the new Abington Health Center Asplundh

"Equipment is a huge energy user in hospitals,"

a brick wall. Subsequent studies have built and expanded

Cancer Pavilion in Willow Grove, PA, Papiez continued.

Guillot added, "and thinking of equipment in the same

upon his research to review a variety of settings and in-

"Biophilia is the innate human connection to and love

way as infrastructure can yield surprising effectiveness.

clude benefits to healthcare staff, as well as patients. Two

of nature, and biophilic design provides a framework for

Hospitals are now major consumers of computer tech-

recent EwingCole projects have centered on the incorpo-

incorporating elements and characteristics of nature into

nology, so even rethinking how to supply and operate

ration of nature for healing and wellness."

the spaces we inhabit.

computers can yield energy and environmental savings

Papiez cited the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer

For the Asplundh Cancer Pavilion, the vision was to

throughout a large system, according to Kaiser Perma-

Center in West Harrison, NY, as an example. It is the

reconnect the building inhabitants to an ecologically re-

nente's Electronic Products Environmental Assessment

third major project EwingCole has completed for MSK.

stored and vibrant landscape. Views to an adjacent creek

Tool (EPEAT)."

"The project began with a 1950s office building and

were one of the primary drivers for early building mass-

transformed it into a sophisticated, serene environment

ing, while a winter garden with views to the rain garden

BEYOND SAVING ENERGY

for the care of cancer patients. Connecting with the land-

contains the main lobby and was placed directly adjacent

Saving energy might be a prime motivator, but there is

scape was incredibly important on this project. The wait-

to the main building entry. The building program was

solid foundation of research relating characteristics of

ing areas and public spaces are all defined by how they

organized around providing views to the outdoor land-

commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

SEPTEMBER 2017

COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE

11
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