Inside Duke Medicine
The greening of Duke Medicine
posted April 7th, 2008
For months, the signs read “No Water, No Landscaping.”
But March came in like a lion and went out with progress on an innovative renovation project bringing new life to the courtyard at Duke University Hospital.
On April 1, the hospital courtyard was opened for limited use as a lunch-time seating option. Later this month, a 40-by-40 foot tent will be erected in the courtyard to provide all-weather shelter for dining during a planned renovation of the Atrium’s food service area.
Workers have installed a temporary fence around the paver patio to allow visitors to safely observe the construction of various courtyard features, such as a 4,000 gallon storm water cistern and vegetated “green” roofing.
“Everything you now see or will soon see in the courtyard is a research study on green building methods and materials,” said project manager Tim Pennigar. “But it’s the things you don’t see, the intangible things, which have captured our imagination.”
The courtyard may be a case study on the therapeutic power of space and environment in patient care—a topic of growing interest for hospital planners.
“From coast to coast, the greening of health care is transforming how hospitals are built and operated,” states Robert Guerry, director of Engineering and Operations for Duke University Health System. “Duke Medicine is on the leading edge of many of these innovations.”
The green health care movement has taken a surprising step from simply “do no harm,” as demonstrated by elimination of toxic materials such as mercury or heavy solvents, to a more active role in healing and the environment of care. Today, the design of a new health care facility is as likely to offer views of nature and natural light as it is to promise toxin-free materials and interior air quality.