FacilityCare September 2009 : Page 21
Symposium Distinction Awards The project team worked carefully to ensure that the facility would be a welcome addition to the community area, not an invasive intrusion. SBA capitalized on the opportunity to present a fresh new image of the Milford Regional Medical Center to its surrounding population. Located directly across the street from the patient care addition, also designed by SBA, the cancer center creates a synergy between the two buildings while increasing the campus’s presence within the community. Having strategically placed the earlier patient care addition at a major crossroads of the medical campus, the SBA team then helped MRMC to select a similarly promi- nent site for the new cancer center, giving the campus a revitalized identity in the eyes of the community. A stunning contempo- rary glass façade stimulates a dynamic con- nection to the outside community. The glass curtain-wall lobby entryway cre- ates transparency that allows visitors and passersby to see inside the building from the exterior, creating a buzz of activity, welcoming openness and maintaining a visual connection to nature. At night, the two-story lobby space radiates light onto the pedestrian paths. Lighting Design The cancer center was designed as a pilot project for National Grid’s Advanced Buildings Program, which required stringent energy reductions below the standard limits set by the local Massachusetts Building Code. As a result, the project is extremely efficient. Natural light and a connection to nature are essential elements in creating soothing and calming healthcare environments. To help cre- ate this atmosphere, SBA incorporated exten- sive daylighting into the public spaces, infusion bays, exam/treatment rooms and staff areas. The energy-efficient, state-of-the-art artificial lighting system comprises of high-quality recessed low-glare downlights and integrated indirect fluorescent fixtures that harmonize with the daylight and help to balance room bright- ness, create visual comfort and reduce stress. In the infusion bays, dimmable and multiswitching options give the patients and staff better control of the lighting levels, based upon their needs, emotional state and atmospheric conditions. Sustainable Design The cancer center was planned, designed and constructed under the Green Guide for Health Care, a program that is projected to be formally recognized by the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Council. These guidelines modify the general LEED requirements to more accurately reflect what is achievable for sustainable design in a health- care setting. Shortly after opening in 2008, the cancer center received a Green Design Award from the Worcester Business Journal. The design team – including the contractor, engineers, the lighting designer and the land- scape architect – discussed sustainable options from the very first stages of planning and design, in an effort to practice a more efficient process rather than appending green elements during the course of the project. As a result, 90 percent of the materials disposed of during construction were recycled, water retention was built into the site; natural daylighting was maximized to reduce energy costs and natural- ly heat public areas, and automated electronic window shades help to minimize the use of air conditioning. Careful thought was also given to the safety and sustainability of materials used, with minimum-PVC flooring, zero-VOC recycled content, no formaldehyde in casework and nontoxic finishes throughout. F See Advertiser Index on Page 35 SEPTEMBER 2009 facilitycare.com FACILITYCARE | 21
