Emory Hospital Tower awarded LEED certification for building design

The Emory University Hospital Tower has been awarded LEED Silver certification (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is the first Emory Healthcare building to be LEED certified at Emory, according to a press release.

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The $400 million, 450,000 square-foot Emory University Hospital Tower, located at 1364 Clifton Road across from the current hospital, opened for patient care in the summer of 2017. The building meets high standards for air quality, energy efficiency and for using locally sourced materials. Its sustainable, inspirational and collaborative environment promotes healthy lifestyles, learning and community.

Buildings pursuing LEED certification earn points across several categories such as location and transportation, water efficiency, sustainability, materials and resources, energy and atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, innovation and more. Based on the number of points achieved, a project then earns one of four LEED rating levels: Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum.

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Key elements in the design and construction of the Emory University Hospital Tower include the following sustainable features:

• Project site located in close proximity to basic services such as restaurants, stores and public transit to encourage building occupants to walk instead of drive
• Low-flow indoor water fixtures reduce water consumption by an estimated 20 percent
• Energy efficient exterior glazing systems allow for daylight to reach core areas throughout the building
• Materials used contain recycled and regionally manufactured content
• Energy efficient features that allow for more than 20 percent energy savings
• Over 95 percent of construction waste recycled
• Special focus on indoor environmental quality for improving occupant health and well-being of employees
• Lead- and mercury-free facility
• Recycling program implemented

Since the recycling program began at the Emory University Hospital Tower, an average of nearly 30,000 pounds of cardboard and white paper are being recycled each month. The hospital’s Environmental Services team is responsible for collecting the recyclable material and taking it to a designated bin for pick-up.