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.