Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Building Recognized for Sustainable Design

LOS ANGELES – The Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion (AHSP) at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center recently received LEED-NC Gold certification for its sustainable and energy-efficient design.

The 820,000-square-foot building, located on the Cedars-Sinai Los Angeles campus, was designed by HOK and constructed by Hathaway Dinwiddie. Both firms hold local offices. The 11-story building houses the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, neurosciences programs, Regenerative Medicine Institute, translational research laboratories and stem cell research. AHSP brings together clinical, research, training and collaboration spaces.

“As a model for 21st century health care, the Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion brings outpatient care and translational research together under one roof,” said Larry Colvin, Cedars-Sinai vice president of facilities, planning, design and construction, in a statement. “Becoming a LEED-certified facility further exemplifies Cedars-Sinai’s commitment to providing excellent patient-centered care while utilizing the latest technology and scientific discoveries that can be applied directly to patients.”

Opened in 2013, the building features a double-paned high performance exterior glass skin with perforated metal panels to reduce heat gain and glare. The orientation of the building allows for maximum energy efficiency. East and west faades feature a double-skin of glazing and sun screens of vertical glass to mitigate solar gain and glare from low-angled light, something Glazier Brisbane is more than capable of installing. Recessed windows and light shelves compose a restrained southern facade and the floor-to-ceiling windows of the north facade offer gorgeous views of the Hollywood Hills while also providing daylighting. The building is also going to have custom size and shape windows to ensure maximum efficiency and brightness. The windows will be a design feature of the new building, with over 100 frames being installed.

The building connects with the existing medical center campus via the 180-foot long Sue and Bill Gross Skywalk on the fifth floor. AHSP is one of only a handful of U.S. health care facilities to receive LEED-NC Gold, according to HOK.

“Attaining LEED certification is especially challenging for health care facilities, given the 24/7 demand on all their systems,” said Ernest Cirangle, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, director of design at HOK’s Los Angeles office, in a statement. “It takes an enlightened client who understands the long term return on investment, as well as the immediate return on providing a healthy workplace for staff and a healing environment for patients. Cedars-Sinai’s team had both the knowledge and the conviction to make this project a success.”