Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
AIA/AAH Healthcare Design Award
Business Intelligence Group Sustainability Award
Silicon Valley Business Journal Structures (Healthcare)
Challenge
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford aimed to embody innovation and a true commitment to environmental sustainability to better serve its patients–children and expectant mothers. To accommodate growing capacity needs, it was designed to combine pediatric, obstetric, and newborn services in a central location, making it one of the most technologically advanced and sustainable children’s hospitals in the country. The hospital faced the challenge of establishing a disaster-ready, resilient facility that could remain fully functional even in the most extreme disasters.
Solution
Mazzetti designed an expansion hospital with multiple levels of resilience while being resourceful and financially aware. The mechanical infrastructure utilized special water and air systems to heat, cool, and maintain the hospital’s functionalities, each with backup functionality beyond code requirements. Electrical systems facilitated emergency power for medical equipment, and specialized disaster-detection functionalities were integrated, including smoke evacuation systems, fire-detection, and alarm system annunciators. The building was equipped to withstand an 8.0 or greater earthquake, ensuring full functionality in such events.
Water resiliency was a priority, with the project projected to save approximately 800,000 gallons of water per year and use, on average, 38 percent less water than comparable hospitals. Features included a rainwater catchment system, condensation capture system, and underground water tanks to support plant irrigation. Displacement ventilation was implemented, bringing air into rooms at the floor level, providing lower construction costs, lower energy consumption, reduced risk of infection from airborne contaminants, and reduced audible ventilation noise.
The optimized exterior facade eliminated direct solar heat gain and facilitated the implementation of the displacement ventilation system. Daylighting was maximized to leverage natural light and access to views while mitigating energy consumption. An innovative anesthetic gas recovery system was designed to collect and reprocess waste gas, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and recycling the released gases for future use.
Outcome
The hospital achieved the distinction of being the 1st West Coast LEED Platinum Children’s Hospital. The expansion hospital opened in December 2017, incorporating natural elements seamlessly with almost four acres of gardens and green space for patients, families, visitors, and staff to enjoy. The project successfully established a disaster-ready, resilient hospital with advanced water and energy efficiency, optimized ventilation systems, and enhanced patient experience, making it one of the most sustainable and technologically advanced hospitals in the country.
Resilience
The hospital was designed to be disaster-ready and resilient, fully functional even in the most extreme disasters. The mechanical infrastructure uses special water and air systems to heat, cool, and maintain the hospital’s functionalities, each with backup functionality beyond code requirements. Electrical systems facilitate emergency power for medical equipment, and specialized disaster-detection functionalities were integrated, including smoke evacuation systems, fire-detection, and alarm system annunciators. The building is also equipped to withstand an 8.0 or greater earthquake, ensuring full functionality in such events.
“One of the most sustainable, technologically advanced hospitals in the U.S.”
Key Features
Water & Energy Efficiency
Water resiliency has been a priority for the client well before the most recent CA drought crisis. Through intelligent design and planning, this project is projected to save approximately 800,000 gallons of water per year and use, on average, 38 percent less water than comparable hospitals. Features include a rainwater catchment system, condensation capture system, and underground water tanks to support plant irrigation. The client will reap financial savings while preserving natural resources, without impacting patient care delivery.
Key Features
Displacement Ventilation
Packard Children’s is the first major hospital in California to implement the use of a displacement ventilation (DV) system and the first hospital in the country to use it in all acute care patient rooms. Displacement ventilation brings air into rooms at the floor level, providing lower construction costs, lower energy consumption, reduced risk of infection from airborne contaminants, and reduced audible ventilation noise.
Key Features
Optimized Exterior Facade
The hospital’s exterior facade was optimized with mechanical systems to eliminate direct solar heat gain and facilitate the implementation of the displacement ventilation system for the patient rooms.
Key Features
Daylighting
The use of daylighting has been optimized to maximize natural light, access to views, and mitigate energy consumption in many areas of the hospital. Patient rooms and corridors have been optimized to mitigate direct solar gain while leveraging daylighting and access to views. Other areas, such as the PACU, have used skylights to bring in natural light to minimize lighting energy use and facilitate connection to the outdoors.
Key Features
Anesthetic Gas Recovery
An innovative anesthetic gas recovery system was designed to collect and reprocess waste gas, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and recycling the released gases for future use. This is one of the first installations of this technology in the U.S.
Key Features
Patient Experience/Unique Additions
Quality patient experience is a high priority for Packard Children’s Hospital. The building incorporates natural elements seamlessly, with almost four acres of gardens and green space for patients, families, visitors, and staff to enjoy.
“We have so much pride for this project… Driving success for this project stemmed from its leaders and donors that wanted to create a ‘different’ environment–integrate art, beauty, and light into the healing process. This was the original vision, and this is what we proudly delivered.”
