Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH) in Markham, Ontario, has announced the achievement of LEED Silver certification for its recent 385,000 square-foot expansion project.

“We are proud to deliver on our promise of a green building as part of our pledge to provide enhanced care and a state-of-the-art work environment,” said Suman Bahl, vice-president of corporate services and capital development at MSH.

MSH is the first hospital in the province to build a central utility plant that supplies thermal energy, electricity and emergency power through Markham District Energy.

Some features of the current project that helped MSH earn 35 points, included the addition of exterior lighting designed to minimize light pollution onto neighbouring properties and a white roof membrane and green roof areas to reflect heat.

The installation of low-flow fixtures helped achieve a water use reduction of 40 per cent, while an energy model predicted 37 per cent less energy from the implementation of automatic lighting controls, and efficient heating and cooling equipment.

More than 90 per cent of construction waste was diverted from the landfill due to the recycling of project waste materials including concrete, metal, wood and drywall.

“By nature, hospitals require more air exchanges and water than typical buildings, making them more sophisticated to construct sustainably,” said Mike Wieninger, vice-president and district manager for PCL Constructors Inc. (Toronto), which partnered with the hospital as build-finance general contractor.

Overall, the goal to balance energy efficiency with patient comfort was achieved to enable MSH to provide a healthy environment.