Gilbane Bldg.'s Concord Hospital construction project earns LEED

Concord Hospital is the first hospital in northern New England and second in New England awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) national certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its east & north wing additions construction project. Gilbane Building Co. provided construction management services, and Shepley Bulfinch was the architect. The project is comprised of 166,960 s/f of new space and 25,335 s/f of renovated space. It includes the Jim and Marianne Cook emergency department with 37 private rooms, larger operating rooms, a Progressive Care Unit and Intensive Care Unit, an orthopaedics unit, and a newly designed visitors entrance. The project's sustainable design maximizes daylight and views with green roofs and courtyard gardens while creating skylights that bring light deep into treatment spaces. The canopied entrance includes a waiting area that overlooks a garden and the drop-off area and a roof garden that is accessible from the ICU. On patient floors almost all spaces have access to natural light and views outside, while garden courtyards create a buffer from the road. Native plantings and maximized permeable surfaces reduce the impact on the site's stormwater system and minimize heat islands. The use of recyclable non-harmful, efficient materials, natural light, and enhanced ventilation systems are prominent components throughout. Other prominent components used include: * Reducing or eliminating toxins to improve indoor air quality; * Recycling demolition waste; * Reducing water consumption; * Using energy efficient equipment; * Promoting alternative transportation. "We're fortunate that Ray Gerbi, our former vice president of facilities, was passionate about our environment and committed to achieving LEED certification," said Michael Green, president and CEO of Concord Hospital. "I continue to be very proud to be part of a progressive and creative organization." "We are extraordinarily proud to have supported Concord Hospital's vision to achieve LEED certification," said Paul Choquette III, area manager of Gilbane's northern New England District. "Having been a construction partner to the hospital since 2001, we understand that this accomplishment could only have been achieved with a total team effort." "What made this such a success was Concord Hospital's commitment to the hospital's sustainable design and operations, and to doing it as a team," said Angela Watson, principal of Shepley Bulfinch of Boston, the project architects.