What Does a Green Hospital Room Look Like?

by Bryan Long

You’re familiar with the typical hospital room: Bleak lighting. Barren surroundings. It's supposed to help make you feel better but it often makes you feel worse.

Skanska USA Building introduces the green hospital room: Low flow faucets. Flooring made with renewable materials. Non-toxic items in the ceiling, bed, and walls. There’s even a balcony because research shows connecting with nature can help with healing.

In fact, there is growing evidence of a correlation between green health care facilities and improved patient recovery.

For instance, building materials can have a significant effect on indoor air quality.  Careful materials selection can have a positive effect on occupants, especially sensitive patients such as children, the elderly and patients with respiratory problems or compromised immune systems.  Improved air quality means better breathing conditions and the potential for a faster recovery.

Lighting efficiency is another advantage for green hospitals. Although costs for optimized artificial lighting may initially be higher, evidence suggests that optimized and natural light improves patient healing and staff retention.  These systems are also financially prudent in the long run due to off-setting rising energy costs.

Skanska is an industry leader in green hospital construction. Skanska built the first LEED Gold hospital in the nation, Oregon’s Providence Newberg Medical Center. Since then, Skanska has executed green healthcare projects in virtually every region of the country.

And Skanska recently unveiled the green hospital room in Boston.

The 400-square foot green patient lab was designed to demonstrate that green materials and technologies can be incorporated into hospital construction - and not always at exorbitant prices.

Green characteristics include:
•    a smart heating system that changes the volume of air in a room as needed
•    high-efficiency glass, LED lights, and insulation with an emphasis on natural light
•    materials low in volatile organic compound emissions

To find out what Skanska is doing in Connecticut, check out CT GreenScene!

Comments

[christian louboutin]

*What do you consider your greatest achievement?