LEED Silver for Markham Stouffville Hospital

MARKHAM, ONT.—Another milestone has been reached for Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH), as it recently earned LEED Silver Certification for its 385,000 square-foot expansion project.

Delivered under the provincial government’s Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) model, PCL Constructors Canada Inc. (Toronto) partnered with the hospital as build-finance general contractor, a release explains.

The company also managed renovations to 250,000 square feet of the existing hospital, which was separated into 28 phases to avoid disruption.

Environmental highlights of the hospital include:

— A white roof membrane and green roof areas reflect heat, rather than absorbing it;

— Exterior lighting designed to minimize light pollution onto neighbouring properties and reduce impact on the night sky;

— 16 per cent of materials used recycled content and 31 per cent of material was manufactured and harvested within 800 kilometres of the project, or within 2,400 kilometres if shipped by rail or water;

— More than 90 per cent of construction waste was diverted from landfill due to the recycling of project waste materials including concrete, metal, wood and drywall;

— Installation of low-flow fixtures was included to achieve a water use reduction of 40 per cent;

— An energy model predicts 37 per cent less energy due to the implementation of energy efficient technologies such as automatic lighting controls, and efficient heating and cooling equipment;

— The building envelope was designed to increase thermal resistance;

— and the project also achieved exemplary performance of water efficiency and regional materials through "prioritization of sustainable design and construction materials purchasing."

According to a release, it is the first hospital in Ontario to build a central utility plant that supplies thermal energy, electricity and emergency power through Markham District Energy. The project was evaluated according to LEED Canada New Construction standards, earning 35 points, the release reads.

"By nature, hospitals require more air exchanges and water than typical buildings, making them more sophisticated to construct sustainably," said Mike Wieninger, vice-president and district manager for PCL Constructors Inc. (Toronto) in a statement.

"We are extremely proud of our team for securing LEED Silver status to provide Markham Stouffville Hospital with a facility that balances energy efficiency with patient comfort, enabling the hospital to provide care in an environment that is as healthy as possible, for years to come."

MSH also received the 2014 Green Hospital Award from the Ontario Hospital Association earlier this year for demonstrating commitment to environmental sustainability and reducing environmental impact. It was also named Redevelopment Project of the Year by the Professional Engineers of Ontario (York Chapter).