The US military has again reconfirmed its commitment to becoming the country’s leaders in sustainable technologies.
With the military committing millions of dollars and man hours to upgrading their residential and non-residential buildings in addition to the Air Force’s construction of the countries largest ever solar photovoltaic site, the USmilitary are cementing themselves as green role models globally.
The latest in a long line of low energy consumption projects, the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Bethesda Maryland, has achieved the honour of LEED Gold certification. The project already boasts the title of the US Green Building Council National Capital Region Chapter’s Project of the Year – New Construction.
The low energy building is a tri-culmination of the US services medical centre, placed on the National Naval Medical Centre’s campus.
The $826 million project was approved for LEED Gold certification due to its strong sustainability model. The centre was designed by US architecture bodies HKS Architects in association with Wingler Sharp and Hartman-Cox Architects.
The facility is separated into two buildings, each with its own specific role and floor plan.
Listed as Building A, the America Building caters to cancer patients, amputees and houses an outpatient facility. All of these sectors are located a six storey building that takes up approximately 52,000 sqm, making it the country’s largest military outpatient facility.
This area also includes a 939 spaced car park located to the east.
Building B, or the Arrowhead Building caters to the needs of emergency in-patients. The building takes up a total area of approximately 15,300 sqm over four storeys.
In order to be honoured with a LEED Gold certificate, sustainability aspects need to be the foundation of works. This is certainly the case as shown by the medical centre’s commitment to going green.
In terms of water saving, the facility installed a high efficiency storm water technology, that in association with water efficient measures, reduced water usage levels by 33%.
Basic low energy measures that have been put into place are strategic ventilation, as well as energy efficient heating, cooling and lighting. More advanced measures include the use of Enthalpy heat recovery wheel, which allows natural air to circulate the facility. These measures facilitated in a 28% reduction of energy consumption.
Further measures have been taken in order to reduce landfill by 89% as well as reducing toxicity levels in all materials used.
With the foreclosure of the greatly honoured Walter Reed Army Medical Centre today, further patients are set to arrive throughout August, putting the eco-friendly centre into good use.
It is clear that the military is taking extreme measures in leading with muscle on a sustainable future.
