Medical Construction & Design

SEP-OCT 2017

Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.

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26 Medical Construction & Design | SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2017 | MCDM AG.COM Keeping clients informed It's diffi cult to make a budget- ary argument for sustainable materials if a client doesn't specifi cally ask for it, but it's necessary to help owners make informed decisions regarding sustainability. Similarly, it's important to help clients rule out materials or products that won't stand the test of time. Of course, that's often easier said than done. Presenting owners with lifecycle cost evaluation can be a good start; renewable products often have a higher upfront cost, but when the cost of maintenance and replace- ment is considered, these products usually save owners money in the long run. We need to advocate for sustainable materials, both for the life of buildings and for the health of users. One example of this type of added value is using materials to help prevent healthcare- associated infections. To provide some background, the CDC indicates that prevention of these infections starts with a hospital's compliance with guidelines for cleaning surgical tools, catheters and ventila- tors. It's imperative to focus on these clean rooms, but also note it is not the materials in patient rooms or public spaces that cause infections. Clients often turn to traditional antimi- crobial additives in an attempt to mitigate the spread of these infections, but some of them have actually been proven to release harmful chemicals over time and are not specifi cally included in the CDC's guide for infection control. As designers, we can bring even more value to a project by recommending newer antimicrobial products that do not release harmful chemicals, thus making the built environment healthier and more sustainable. Examining the bigger picture And going from individual patient outcomes to the bigger picture, think about reduc- ing waste whenever possible. Cradle to Cradle certifi ed products take an extra step to prevent waste, especially harm- ful substances, from ending up in landfi lls. Approximately 100 million tons of waste from building products end up in landfi lls annually in the United States, but a sizeable portion of this waste could be routed back to manufacturers to be recycled. Members of the Cradle to Cradle program have demon- strated great eff orts toward making sure products, from manufacturing to end of life, get reused in some way, but this isn't a simple process; every piece of a product must be examined to determine its recyclability. Cradle to Cradle companies have performed in- tense studies of their products, both from an HPD/EPD angle and from a recycling/upcycling State of Sustainability ISSUE FOCUS From top: Community Cancer Center North provides convenient access to quality healthcare services featuring a home-like atmosphere. > At Community Cancer Center North, sustainable and healthy materials were chosen to add to the beautiful, healing environment. Community Cancer Center North: Chris Butcher 80M tons of waste have been diverted from landfi lls by LEED projects. — leed.usgbc.org $29.8B Contribution of LEED- certifi ed buildings to U.S. GDP by 2018 — leed.usgbc.org

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