CHICAGO, Ill. – Presence Center for Advanced Care, a 380,000-square-foot ambulatory care center located in Chicago, Illinois, has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Presence Health, CallisonRTKL and Hammes Company worked together on this project, giving patients the best possible care and providing the community with a resource-efficient facility that reduces waste and conserves water and energy.
“As a faith-based organization, stewardship of resources is very important to Presence Health. This value extends to the community’s and the planet’s resources as well. And designing a project to this level of sustainability also makes it a better healing environment for our patients,” said Sandy Faurot, CallisonRTKL vice president. “Not only does it include convenient access to transportation and views to green space, but the selected low-VOC materials tend to create a more natural, comforting and restorative ambiance throughout the building.”
Presence Health’s main goals of the project were to create an efficient environment for staff to deliver care, to put patients first and to contain costs. Meeting LEED Gold requirements means that the project conserves energy and water, thereby lowering operating costs. In efforts to put the patients and community first, the project team developed a partnership with the alderman and the surrounding community to establish consistent, valuable communication through the design and construction phases of the project.
The design team took all suggestions and concerns into consideration, making the most efficient and effective healthcare center possible. The design team used the project’s urban location and position on an existing bus route as an advantage, and the city of Chicago’s green roof requirement meant that the project started with sustainability in mind. The rooftop gardens deflect heat and save energy. To earn LEED Gold certification, the team selected sustainable materials, implemented occupancy light sensors and incorporated onsite storm water retention and green power into the design.
