PHILADELPHIA-The new Penn Medicine building in the campus hospital of the University of Pennsylvania breaks new ground in the construction and design of sustainable health care through the Gold Certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Healthcare. This 17-storey, future-oriented patient facility has been integrated with sustainability efforts since its inception, and is the world's largest LEED v4 healthcare (the latest version of the LEED healthcare rating system) gold medal or higher certification s project. The exhibition hall covers an area of ​​1.5 million square feet and will open on October 30. It is also the first hospital in the United States with an area of ​​more than 1 million square feet to obtain LEED healthcare certification.

“At Penn Medicine, implementing sustainability measures in our buildings has always been a key area where we are leading the way in healthcare, not only saving energy, but also improving the way in which patient care is provided,” the university’s CEO Kevin B. Mahoney said the Pennsylvania Health System. "Our employees are committed to climate management. In the pavilion, they can proudly be part of the new era of protection and put medicine on the map as a force to improve the health of the planet."

LEED is formulated by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). It is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence. The LEED healthcare rating system focuses on green initiatives in inpatient, outpatient and licensed long-term care facilities, medical offices, assisted living facilities, and medical education and research centers. To obtain LEED certification, a building must score thresholds in a number of indicators that measure the excellence of green buildings, from sustainable site development to energy efficiency and water conservation.

Protective measures during the Pavilion project included the recycling of materials collected after the demolition of Penn Tower, which was previously located on the site of the new hospital, including 291 tons of steel scrap and 17,000 tons of concrete. In addition, during the construction of the pavilion, approximately 25% of the materials were prefabricated and manufactured off-site, including more than 570 mechanical/electrical/piping racks and all 504 bathrooms in each ward. This process minimizes on-site waste, reduces traffic impact and on-site congestion, improves quality and reduces costs.

Overall, compared with hospitals that only meet specifications, the energy efficiency work of the pavilion is expected to save more than 14% of energy costs each year. The building itself also uses 100% outside air through its HVAC system, and uses energy recovery wheels to capture and reuse waste energy.

In addition to saving energy, the construction of the facility also reduced typical indoor water consumption by 30% by installing and using selected fixtures and designs that significantly reduce water consumption, such as low-flow and low-flush toilets, sinks, and showers. %. In addition, more than 20% of the water required for building HVAC equipment is provided by water collected and reused on site, such as rainwater, condensate water, and foundation dehydration. Two reservoirs are used to help supply the chilled water system and are expected to treat 7 million gallons of non-potable water each year.

The Pavilion's property also includes an acre of greenery that has been landscaped around the facility-including ground greenery that helps to "bring in" patients and employees from the outside through a large number of windows-and a green roof. The landscape area will feature native and hardy species, requiring minimal watering and maintenance.

The environmental quality of the facility extends to provide green transportation options for thousands of people who work and visit the pavilion every day. In the underground parking garage with 690 parking spaces, 2% of the parking spaces are connected to electric vehicle charging stations, and 352 new bicycle parking spaces have been set up at different locations around the exhibition hall to promote cycling and walking. A new walkway connects the facility to Penn Medicine Station, providing convenient train travel for employees and visitors using public transportation.

The design and planning of the pavilion was carefully planned by PennFIRST, an integrated project delivery (IPD) composed of Penn Medicine employees, healthcare design company HDR, architect Foster Partners, engineering company BR A, and construction managers LF Driscoll and Balfour Beatty team.

"An integral part of the University of Pennsylvania campus development plan is to seriously consider how our projects respond to our sustainability goals. The Penn Medicine Pavilion's LEED Gold designation goes beyond this important consideration while also contributing to our spectacular city The transformation of the campus," said Anne Papageorge, vice president of facilities and real estate services at the University of Pennsylvania.

Every new building and major renovation project currently being designed by Penn is registered with the USGBC and targets LEED Silver or higher. Pavilion is one of nearly 40 LEED-certified buildings at the University of Pennsylvania, including Penn Medicine's Valley Forge location, Penn Medicine Radnor, Perelman Advanced Medical Center, and Penn Medicine's college town office building.

Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to related missions such as medical education, biomedical research, and excellent patient care. Penn Medicine is composed of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765, the first medical school in the United States) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $8.9 billion enterprise.

According to the "US News and World Report" survey of research medical schools, Perelman School of Medicine has been among the top medical schools in the United States for more than 20 consecutive years. The college has always been one of the largest beneficiaries of funding from the National Institutes of Health, receiving US$496 million in funding in fiscal year 2020.

The patient care facilities of the University of Pennsylvania Health System include: University of Pennsylvania Hospital and Pennsylvania Presbyterian Medical Center-recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation's top "honor list" hospitals-Chester County Hospital; Lancaster Comprehensive Health; Penn Medicine Princeton Health; Pennsylvania Hospital, the first hospital in the United States, founded in 1751. Other facilities and businesses include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Medicine at Home, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital and Princeton House Behavioral Health.

Penn Medicine has more than 44,000 talented and dedicated employees. The organization has also formed alliances with top community health systems in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey to create more choices for patients, no matter where they live.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving life and health through various community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2020, Penn Medicine provided more than $563 million to benefit our community.

Hannah Messinger C: 267-240-2448 Hannah.Messinger@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

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