Boston's Green Hospital

Local Hospital Goes Green

Design Team Focused On Energy Reduction

July 8, 2011 - Late this summer, Boston's medical community takes another step forward with the opening of the new Lunder Building at Massachusetts General Hospital.

It sits at the heart of the MGH campus and is entirely dedicated to enhancing the well being of patients and staff, all by being "green."

Joan Saba at NBBJ says the entire design team focused on energy reduction, the use of renewable materials and construction methods that were very conscious of the environment.

Perhaps the most prominent feature are the floor-to-ceiling glass walls in the six-story garden atrium with gigantic hanging plants. Natural light floods the 150 inpatient rooms. A special "glazing" system on the exterior improves heating and cooling by more than 30 percent. So, too, do the roof gardens, which provide a natural insulation and trap the rain water for watering the plants and indoor gardens.

Saba says building green is truly an art and science. "The art part is the creativity of how you bring it about, and the science part is there is real science in terms of the engineering, the types of materials, the way the building is constructed," she says. read more >>>