In this episode, we take a closer look at an amazing project where the construction and design teams worked closely with the customer to complete a major expansion of the UVA University Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the USA. The teams were able to achieve three different LEED certifications while also making a significant positive impact for the community, the patients, the staff, the faculty and the region.
This was a huge construction project at a 24/7 hospital that could not stop serving patients. The 500,000 square foot (nearly 50,000 square meter) expansion had to be built while the hospital continued operating without interruption. On top of that, the entire project was tested to the limit when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the region and the world.
Reducing consumption of water
Hospitals require a lot of resources to function around the clock, so the team had to come up with innovative solutions to reduce consumption of water and energy. The UVA University Hospital has been able to achieve effectively net-zero water use, where water harvested from sources such as rainwater and air-conditioning condensation can be used in the adjacent chiller plant.
The facility is also designed to connect patients and staff to the calming effects of nature. There are green roofs, large windows, glass corridor with views to the outdoors – they even made sure that just about every open space has access to natural daylight.
The expansion has also provided a better indoor climate: this is now a hospital focused not only on healing but also being regenerative, not just for the patients but for everyone who walks through the doors – and even for the planet.
John Calvin, Project Executive Vice President, Skanska USA Building, wraps it up: “(This achievement) was something to be proud of, and it's a project that we want to try to be able to recreate in the future, because it was such a successful formula.”
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This episode’s guests:
Mark Humbertson Construction Administration Manager, University of Virginia
Jon Penndorf, Associate Principal at multidisciplinary design firm Perkins&Will
John Calvin, Project Executive Vice President, Skanska USA Building