With the green recognition, the Women and Children’s pavilion has become the first LEED-Gold-certified hospital in the Southeast and one of only seven gold-certified hospitals in the US.
The new Women’s & Children’s Pavilion is a 100-bed expansion project undertaken by the Methodist Le Bonheur Hospital. The designing and building process adhered to environmentally-sustainable practices such as: using a building envelop which has highly insulated walls, solar reflective roof and low-e glass in conjunction with an extremely efficient HVAC system; recycling 90% of the construction waste from the demolition of the buildings located on the expansion site, which helped in achieving the goal of diverting up to 75% of construction waste from landfills; planting drought resistant vegetation including grass and plants to reduce water use by 50%; and usage of drip irrigation in areas with plants.
The use of regional materials within a 500 mile radius helped in saving transportation fuel; and the use of low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paints, coatings, sealants and composite wood products helped in improving air quality. The pavilion also features 32 designated parking lots for fuel-efficient low-emitting cars. Bike racks are also provided along with changing rooms.
The pavilion’s new power plant is 20% more efficient than traditional models. The reinforced grass strips surrounding the parking garage replaced traditional asphalt or concrete to allow for greater rainwater absorption.
The Women’s & Children’s Pavilion at Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital features spacious labor and delivery rooms; private neonatal intensive care (NICU) rooms; the Women’s Boutique; an interfaith chapel; and community education spaces.
