Robins & Morton Achieves Multiple LEED-HC Certifications

October 22, 2014 1817 Views atrium, BR&A Consulting Engineers, Clarke McChesney, Douglas County Commission, Eastern U.S., Perkins Will; Rachel Lee; CREATE; Laboratory of the Year; University of California, remote, Shire, Steve Maslen, StudioNOVA

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After earning a second LEED for Healthcare (LEED-HC) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Birmingham-based Robins & Morton reported that it’s the only general contractor in the country to receive multiple LEED-HC certifications.

Only seven projects are LEED-HC certified in the U.S. The USGBC launched the rating system in 2009 and awarded the first certification in April 2013 to a medical office building in Puyallup, Wash. The project was for Group Health Cooperative, a Seattle health care organization. CollinsWoerman, based in Seattle, was the architect for the project and GLY, based in Bellevue, Wash., was the contractor.

In November 2013, Robins & Morton completed a 74,000-square-foot, 53-bed rehabilitation hospital in Ludlow, Mass., for HealthSouth Corporation, which is headquartered in Birmingham. The $27 million HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts was the first Robins & Morton project to achieve LEED-HC.

Before breaking ground in September 2012, HealthSouth; Robins & Morton; and designer Gresham, Smith & Partners, based in Nashville, Tenn., set a goal to obtain LEED-HC Silver certification. As construction progressed, the team picked up additional points due to installation of efficient building systems, generation of renewable energy on site, sourcing a significant percentage of regional and recycled materials, installing materials with a low level of toxins and VOCs and by flushing the building’s HVAC system to improve air quality. Additionally, the owner committed to a series of sustainable practices that would be implemented during operations. The additional points the project team obtained were enough to surpass the silver goal and achieve LEED-HC Gold certification.

“HealthSouth’s goal is to create a hospital environment that meets the highest standards for patient wellness and reduce energy consumption,” said Victoria Healy, chief executive officer of HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts, in a statement. “We want to provide the healthiest environment possible for the healing process.”

In June, MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta, Maine, which opened in November 2013, became the first health care facility in the state to receive LEED-HC Gold. The project was a joint venture between architects SMRT in Portland, Maine, and Boston-based TRO/Jung Brannen, as well as a joint venture for construction teams at HP Cummings Construction Company in Ware, Mass., and Robins & Morton.

“Our company-wide policies such as our jobsite waste management policy, sustainable jobsites policy, and environmental and stormwater management policy ensure our teams are committed to protecting the environment on every project,” said Jackie Mustakas, Robins & Morton’s corporate sustainability coordinator, in a statement. “These policies serve as our foundation for sustainable construction and ensure sustainable jobsite measures are a routine part of our company culture.”