Widespread use of sustainable construction practices and building products made with recycled content and other “Green” materials enabled the Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois to achieve LEED Gold certification.
Sustainability and security go hand-in-hand at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois. A recent addition at the healthcare facility achieved LEED Gold certification, making it the first hospital in the Midwest to attain this lofty ranking offered by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Among the building components used in the new addition are door and hardware products from ASSA ABLOY Group brands CURRIES, McKINNEY, NORTON, ROCKWOOD, SECURITRON and YALE.
The healthcare conglomerate is committed to improving patient outcomes by creating environments that are therapeutic, efficient and restorative. These values weighed heavily in the design of the 192-room patient tower completed in 2009. The tower includes innovative safety and comfort features, a focus on family centered care and an environmentally friendly design that includes the use of building products made with high percentages of recycled material and low VOC (volatile organic compound) interior finishes.
Hollow metal doors and frames from CURRIES are made in nearby Mason City, Iowa and are produced with roughly 40% recycled steel. CURRIES doors also meet stringent GREENGUARD testing for VOC requirements and exceed operable thermal transmission and air leakage requirements of LEED, providing Lutheran General with an extremely energy efficient building envelope.
McKINNEY hinges and NORTON door closers are made with over 50% recycled content, while flat goods and trim products from ROCKWOOD contain between 56-90% recycled materials. From a security perspective, the facility incorporated 180 SECURITRON Sabl pin pad locks that require a security code to gain entry to the doorway in addition to YALE exit devices and a YALE Keymark key system.
Visitors to Lutheran General’s patient tower can learn more about the hospital’s LEED journey by stopping in the “Why Green? Gallery” on the first floor of the patient tower. The gallery highlights the many ways the building respects the environment while providing healthier, more comfortable surroundings for patients, their families and the staff. The gallery also describes what Lutheran General is doing to help the community and environment stay healthy.