by Shane Henson — September 17, 2012— San Francisco Surgical Arts (SFSA) , a new oral and maxillofacial surgical facility, has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council, the highest level of green building certification under the LEED Commercial Interiors (CI) v2009 rating system.
Environmental Building Strategies (EBS) provided SFSA with sustainable commissioning/engineering services, as well as strategic consulting on energy, waste and water efficiency, sustainable building materials and construction practices. To combat the medical facilities stereotype of stacks of paper medical records, constant hand washing, and energy-intensive equipment, EBS provided the research and documentation that advised SFSA to use electronic medical records to eliminate paper waste, low-flow sinks and toilets to reduce water usage, and energy-efficient equipment to slash utility bills, the company says.
In addition to EBS sustainability engineering and LEED consulting, the Platinum achievement was made possible by the expert medical design of The Kohan Group, as well as the creative material use and sustainable medical building tactics of All Phase Builders, says the SFSA.
As a testament to SFSAs investment, its existing Cupertino office–which did not pursue LEED certification–is half the size of the new office, but spends three times more on energy bills. Notable achievements of the project include:
- A 37-percent reduction in lighting power by through LED lighting, occupancy sensors and lighting controls;
- A 90-percent Energy Star qualification of the offices appliances, such as LED monitors and solar-powered keyboards;
- 100-percent paperless records and administration; and
- A 40-percent reduction in water usage through pressure-assist toilets and automatic faucets.
- A 90-percent Energy Star qualification of the offices appliances, such as LED monitors and solar-powered keyboards;
