At Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown, N.J., the renovation of a single floor, Simon Level 5, has received a Gold LEED Commercial Interiors certification from the USGBC. The 14,070 square foot project, the renovation of a 1948 semi private room bed floor into an in-patient unit focused on oncology patients, encompasses 30 patient rooms and supportareas including a nurses station, pharmacy, a staff lounge, two waiting rooms and administrative offices. Although small in scope the project has had high impact at the hospital, demonstrating that sustainability can be achieved despite the challenges of being located in an existing building.
Located in the Simon Building, which serves as the main entrance leading into the Morristown Memorial Hospital campus, the project comprises three patient room wings connected by a centralized nursing station and elevator lobby. Patient rooms are located along the perimeter of the building, making them easily accessible to nursing staff. Newly installed air-handling units on the building’s rooftop and deck-to-deck wall partition provide patient room ventilation and air conditioning.
The project is designed to 25% water use reduction and 21.28% lighting power density reduction. In addition, 77% of construction waste was recycled and diverted away from the landfill. Sustainable project materials and high indoor environmental quality (IEQ) were a focus of the design and construction, resulting in a12.6% materials with recycled content, 61% manufactured regionally, and 13 of 35 LEED points achieved by the project coming from the IEQ category. The hospital’s decision to reuse all of the patient beds resulted in 68% furniture reuse for the project, thus capitalizing on existing resources to conserve the new. The project’s urban location with a transportation network and community connectivity also contributed towards the LEED certification.
In an effort to make the entire Simon building more energy efficient, improvements were made to other portions of the building outside the immediate project scope. The two new air-handling units were sized not only serve the 5th floor, but to improve the indoor air quality of floors 2-4 as well. Improvements were also made on the Simon building rooftop where fifty-three percent of the building’s rooftop was replaced with a new, high-reflective, roofing material. BD+C
Related Stories
Architects | May 17, 2015
NCARB wants the title ‘architect’ confined to those who are licensed
The Council is urging state licensing boards to come up with a substitute for the pre-licensure title ‘Intern.’
Museums | May 13, 2015
The museum of tomorrow: 8 things to know about cultural institutions in today’s society
Entertainment-based experiences, personal journeys, and community engagement are among the key themes that cultural institutions must embrace to stay relevant, write Gensler's Diana Lee and Richard Jacob.
Industrial Facilities | May 11, 2015
SOM-designed Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute opens in Chicago
The new space will be a place for academia, industries, and civic bodies to collaborate.
Sponsored | Roofing | May 11, 2015
How architects can tap into the expertise of their metal roof manufacturer, part 2
Here are three things metal roof manufacturers can do to help the architect
BIM and Information Technology | May 10, 2015
How beacons will change architecture
Indoor positioning is right around the corner. Here is why it matters.
Architects | May 10, 2015
Harness the connection between managing risk and increasing profitability, Part 2
In Part 1, we covered taking control of the submittals schedule and managing RFIs. Let’s move on to properly allocating substitutions and limiting change orders.
Architects | May 10, 2015
Harness the connection between managing risk and increasing profitability, Part 1
AE firms need to protect themselves against vague contractual and procedural situations during all phases of the project in order to minimize their liability and exposure to risk, writes AEC industry consultant Steve Whitehorn.
Building Team | May 8, 2015
Construction industry adds 45,000 jobs in April
The construction industry saw an increase in jobs during the month of April after losing approximately 9,000 positions in March.
Building Team | May 8, 2015
Surety bond forms specifically for design-build projects now available
The documents are the first of their kind to be coauthored by designers and builders.
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Parks in the sky? Subterranean bike paths? Meet the livable city, designed in 3D
Today’s great cities must be resilient—and open—to many things, including the influx of humanity, writes Gensler co-CEO Andy Cohen.