LEED Initiative
Architects and cardiac specialists from some of the world’s best cardiac centres were consulted in the design and development of the 315,000 sq. ft. Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute.
It was designed around a theme of wellness with its two-storey indoor healing garden, giant bronze tinted walls of windows that illuminate patient and staff rooms with natural light, and non-hospital colours inspired by the prairie landscape.
It was developed to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver certification, a global benchmark that identifies a sustainable, environmentally-friendly building. It is one of the few health care institutions worldwide constructed to meet LEED performance standards.
LEED designed buildings are effective in reducing operational costs, decreasing resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste products and providing a healthier environment for people inside and outside the building.
To protect our natural resources and green space, tight construction controls saw 75 per cent of construction waste recycled. Trees from the construction site went to local schools or were recycled into mulch to be used onsite. A monitored 100% fresh air filtration system, green cleaning solutions and minimal VOC emitting paints, furniture and carpets help lower the incidence of allergens, asthma and other respiratory illness.
Green roofing systems increase the building’s energy efficiency by reducing heat deflection and heat recovery systems while triple-paned windows maintain heat and humidity temperatures and preserve internal lighting. Visible rooftops with low maintenance perennials and small shrubs offer visual interest for patients, staff and visitors while helping to reduce storm water run-off and recycle rainwater for non-sterile tasks like hosing sidewalks.
The planning and building methods adopted by the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute are estimated to save the site hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual utility costs.
