The best way to pursue sustainable goals is to understand that most of what they are working to accomplish can either lay the foundation for or amplify other goals that an Owner aalready has. By taking the time to identify and codify Owner Project Requirements (OPR), they can be matched to green goals.
Being sustainable as a matter of conscience or energy savings is nice, but healthcare organizations should view it as a prerequisite to meeting their infection control requirements, staff retention goals, and patient satisfaction plans as well as a tool to improve the overall outcomes for cases. When you look at green measures through an EBD lens, you get a whole different game plan for your project. As my diagrams below illustrate, there are parallel paths for both sustainable and EBD strategies, which helps strengthen the argument for any measure that satisfies both aims:
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These diagrams illustrate sustainable strategies (some linked to multiple LEED credits) and parallel EBD strategies with outcomes listed for both. As this comparison shows, many sustainable strategies also lead to direct EBD gains-a win/win/win result for your project.
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Integrating EBD and sustainability into the project from the planning and conceptual stage encourages Owners to select strategies that support and inform their design goals for the project. To get you started on the visioning path, consider these strategies:
1. Stepping back to look at the big picture from a “whole building” point of view
2. Master planning infrastructure not just buildings- systems expandability
3. Making bold moves for big results
4. Incorporating redundancy and reliability into the sustainable plan
Go forth and be life-sustaining, not just sustainable.
