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Boulder Community Hospital

Project Summary
OZ Architecture and Boulder Associates
Boulder, Colorado

Project Type:
Hospital and Medical Office Building

Size:
154,000 Square Feet

Year Constructed / Occupied:
2003

Project Details
Boulder Community Foothills Hospital is a women and children's center in Boulder, Colorado. Designed and built by a local team, sustainability and environmental sensitivity were top priorities. The first hospital in the nation to earn LEED® Certification, Boulder Community Foothills Hospital's LEED® Silver sets the standard for energy and environmentally responsive healthcare facility design. The project included use of environmentally-friendly materials, an extensive construction waste management plan, use of native plantings, and exceptional attention to indoor air quality. The result is a facility that maximizes patient comfort while minimizing environmental impacts and operational costs.

Boulder Community Foothills Hospital made a capital investment of $1.3 million in a central utility plant to provide a 12 year payback through energy savings. Such an investment as well as adhering to the LEED® requirements throughout the design and construction process, clearly demonstrate the hospital's commitment to a long-term, sustainable approach to building design and operation, and to first-class patient care. Multiple sustainable design awards and national and international recognition have followed.

Sustainable Design Features

  • Energy efficiency measures resulted in energy savings of 30.6% compared to a minimally-compliant local code building.
  • Exemplary indoor air quality was achieved through by specifying low-VOC materials, installing all materials in proper sequence, and performing a two-week building flushout prior to occupancy.
  • 64% of the construction waste was recycled on the project.
  • Building materials such as concrete, gravel, brick, and sandstone were locally harvested and manufactured.
  • In public areas (non-medically critical), water saving fixtures were installed. In the public restrooms, waterless urinals were used, marking the first installation in the City of Boulder.
  • A 53% reduction in potable water use was achieved through drought resistant landscaping.
  • Exemplary encouragement of alternative transportation was achieved through minimum parking exceedance, bus passes for all employees, construction of new bus-stops and provision of numerous bicycle racks.

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Revised February 4, 2008
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