Medical Center of the Rockies Earns LEED Gold

June 7, 2009

LOVELAND, CO...July 1, 2009... As a proud team member, Farnsworth Group congratulates Medical Center of the Rockies on its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification award on June 26, 2009, from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Medical Center of the Rockies is a state-of-the-art, 136-bed hospital facility located in Loveland, Colorado and is part of the Poudre Valley Health System and Regional West Medical Center.  The 528,000-square-foot building is believed to be the largest hospital in the nation to earn LEED Gold certification. 

LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.  The goal behind the decision to pursue LEED certification was to create a facility which is healing and healthy for patients, visitors, and staff, but that will also lower utility bills and other operational costs over the life of the building. Although the initial investment in sustainable features added 2-3% of the total construction cost, the Hospital will recoup its costs in as little as five years from energy and operational-efficiency savings.

Completed in 2007, Medical Center of the Rockies includes sustainable features such as water and energy conservation, HVAC components optimized for energy efficiency and indoor air quality, daylighting, use of recycled and local materials, and low volatile organic compound emitting carpets and paint.

The Hospital recycled over 3 million pounds, or about 75% of construction waste, diverting it from a land fill. Over 500,000 gallons of water are saved per year based on the sustainable design of the facility. Over 50% of the lighting required for the clinical laboratories is provided through daylighting, a remarkable feature for hospitals. Other innovations include: scenic views, operable windows in all patient rooms, motion sensor lighting controls in utility rooms, a rooftop terrace and courtyards with re-circulating water features, landscaping with drought-tolerant native plants, wetland implementation for onsite stormwater filtration, walking trails and nature preserve integrated into the regional trail system, incorporated electronic controls to track real-time energy and water usage and trigger appropriate interventions if problems arise.

Farnsworth Group served as the independent commissioning agent providing total building commissioning, and also provided LEED consultation services to help support the sustainable goals and to facilitate the LEED certification award. The project team also included Architects, Heery•HLM | Design;  Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing Engineers, Cator, Ruma & Associates, Co.;  Structural Engineers, S.A. Miro, Inc.;  General  Contractor,  JE Dunn Construction  and the Neenan Company;  Interior Designers, Gallun Snow Associates; Landscape Designers, BHA Design, Inc.; and Civil Engineers Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers.

Medical Center of the Rockies offers heart, trauma, and emergency services, along with birthing care, pediatrics, general medical, surgical nursing, diagnostic services, a laboratory, radiology, cafeteria and administrative offices.  The building also features highly-efficient navigation which quickly guides patients and staff through an easy and intuitive route to the necessary care department.

Farnsworth Group, Inc., an employee-owned company, is a full-service engineering, architecture and survey firm specializing in building commissioning, energy, and sustainability services. From a nationwide network of offices in Colorado, California, Illinois, Missouri, Georgia, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Mississippi, Farnsworth employs 325 professionals.

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