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56 Medical Construction & Design | M A RCH /A PR IL 2017 | MCDM AG.COM Green news & practices more off -gassing materials than other spaces. Materials such as laminate head- boards, vinyl fl oors, upholstered furniture, painted walls and acoustical insulation can impact occupant health. As with other spaces, products need to be durable and easy to clean. Selecting sustainable, humanizing materials Applying healthy building standards drove much of the planning decisions for Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton. NGMC utilized data-driven research to promote the 100-bed hospital as a leader in sustainability, with innova- tive use of a geothermal system, reclaimed purple pipe water for irrigation and dark sky lighting. The hospital refl ects regional architec- ture and material. For instance, more than 80 percent of construction waste was di- verted, and total recycled product content exceeded LEED minimum. Inside, natural materials provide an inviting, healing en- vironment with stone and wood highlight- ing common areas such as the entrance rotunda, atrium and café. While it was challenging to fi nd Red List-compliant ceiling and fl oor fi nishes that met surgery suite standards, nearly 28 percent of interior materials else- where are Red List compliant, including gypsum wall board, paint, ceramic tile, carpet, linoleum, acoustic ceiling tile, sealants and adhesives. Overall, the use of regional materials, connection to nature and natural daylight humanize the build- ing experience for patients, visitors and staff —projecting an image of health and well-being. NGMC Braselton is the fi rst project in the state of Georgia to be certifi ed under the LEED BD+C: Healthcare system (LEED HC, includes both v2009 and v4). It is also one of the fi rst 10 LEED HC Gold-certifi ed projects in the U.S. Looking ahead Planning healthy indoor environments requires ongoing research and diligence. While there are limited product options that comply with all healthy material requirements, the choices are constantly improving as manufacturers embrace new standards. It is important for the design team and facility owner to work col- laboratively to understand the available research, defi ne priorities for each project and communicate with manufacturers to identify products that promote healthier indoor environments. Patrick Thibaudeau, CCS, LEED Fellow, is vice president of sustainable design at HGA Architects and Engineers. Peter Dahl, Ph.D., LEED AP BD+C & O+M, CEM, is director of sustainable operations at HGA Architects and Engineers. >> MATERIALS continued From 55 Inside Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton, natural materials provide an inviting, healing environment with stone and wood highlighting common areas such as the entrance rotunda. RATING HEALTHY MATERIALS Innovations in materials can introduce new or unknown risks to building occupants. Yet a growing number of building rating systems are providing resources to plan healthier buildings and track chemical content in materials. Much of the discussion revolves around the following resources introduced over the past 10 years: > 2006 – The Living Building Challenge by the International Liv- ing Future Institute is a certifi cation program that publishes a Red List, which identifi es potentially harm- ful chemicals in building materials. > 2009 – The Regenerative Network is a consortium of global green building manufacturers and service providers who promote green products and services. > 2010 – LEED for Health Care administered by the U.S. Green Building Council has become an industry standard for targeting sus- tainable building performance. > 2011 – The Health Product Declaration Collaborative advo- cates industry-wide transparency in reporting building products. > 2012 – Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute provides certifi cation for individual products and materials. > 2014 – The WELL Building Standard by the International WELL Building Institute considers seven criteria for measuring healthy indoor environments, including air quality. > 2016 – The Fitwel building-certi- fi cation program recently launched by the Center for Active Design targets occupant health and productivity. Stepping even further back, the focus on healthy buildings actually began in the 1970s with the outbreak of Legionnaire's disease and the recognition of how air- borne contaminants can spread through mechanical systems and building materials. With the launch of USGBC's LEED version 1.0 in 1998 and later Set- ting Healthcare's Environmental Agenda (SHEA Conference) in 2000, healthy buildings' research gained renewed momentum, spelling good news for the building industry — and occupants.