Markham Stouffville Hospital has been awarded LEED® Canada NC Silver Certification from the Canada Green Building Council. Green Reason was part of the team who contributed to this success.
Markham Stouffville Hospital is an acute care and community hospital serving south-east York Region, which has tripled in population since the hospital was first built in 1990. To meet the needs of the ever-increasing community, an expansion was built which is annexed to the original building. The new building houses the emergency department, ICU, operating rooms, inpatient rooms, maternity area, and outpatient clinic. In keeping with the hospital’s Greening Initiatives that encourage sustainable practices, the decision was made to pursue LEED certification for the expansion.
Green Reason was engaged as LEED consultant late into construction, which presented a challenge, as the design and construction phase had proceeded with a large number of LEED credits undocumented. We immediately embarked on a comprehensive review of the design and construction materials; assisting the project team in pulling together the undocumented credits in order to achieve the targeted certification of LEED Canada NCSilver.
Markham Stouffville Hospital promotes environmental sustainability as well as a culture of wellness. The achievement of a LEED certified building contributes to improving the health and well-being of patients and staff as well as supports their corporate green leadership.
Hospitals run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, using a substantial amount of energy. To help reduce consumption, energy efficient technologies such as automatic lighting controls, and efficient heating and cooling equipment were installed. As a result, an energy model predicts the new addition will use 39% less energy. Hospitals also have high water usage. MSH’s low-flow plumbing fixtures reduce interior water usage, while irrigation was eliminated outside with landscaping that includes drought resistant grass.
The hospital is located in a residential neighbourhood, adjacent to a large rural area. Minimizing light pollution helps maintain a natural environment for nocturnal animals and migrating birds. Exterior lighting was designed to minimize light pollution onto neighbouring properties and habitat as well as the night sky.
In order provide a healthier environment for the staff and patients; MSH also implemented a Green Housekeeping program. This is a challenging but important program in a hospital environment to balance protection of staff and patients from airborne and surface pathogens with preserving high quality indoor air and sustainable purchasing.
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