Kaiser Permanente Receives 2021 USGBC Leadership Award for Sustainability, Resiliency

The U.S. Green Building Council recently recognized Kaiser Permanente’s Mercury Way three-story medical office building, located in Santa Rosa, California, as a 2021 USGBC Leadership Award recipient for the Pacific Region.

The USGBC Leadership Awards recognize the exemplary leadership of individuals and organizations contributing to the creation of sustainable, healthier, equitable and resilient buildings, cities and communities. The Pacific region includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington.

The LEED Platinum-certified $50-million, 87,000-square-foot MOB, which is tracking to achieve LEED Zero Energy and LEED Zero Carbon certification, meets the highest standards of environmental and sustainable building. The solar panels covering the parking lot provide 100% of the annual electrical power needed. It also includes a “cool roof” that reflects heat away from the building, saving energy. Other sustainability features include ultra-low-flow fixtures that reduce water use, and landscape irrigation that uses recycled water. The facility boasts high-tech windows designed to lower energy use — automatically darkening to prevent glare and becoming more transparent once the direct sun passes.

Kaiser Permanente Mercury Way offers a wide range of primary care services, including adult family medicine, pediatric care and women’s health. The facility houses an onsite pharmacy, lab and imaging services, as well as a healthy living education and resource center. In addition, services include dermatology, foot and ankle surgery and physical therapy.

Built by Turner Construction and designed by Hawley, Peterson & Snyder Architecture, construction began in 2016 and completed in 2018.