The U.S. Green Building Council awarded USC’s Center for Health and Well-Being a LEED Gold Certification on Aug. 3 for its advancement in environmentally-friendly building design.
LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, recognizes any building that has taken an extra step to ensure that environmental and human health are taken care of through the design.
“We just received official word of the certification last week,” Marjorie Duffie, Student Health Services spokeswoman, said. “We had been sort of tentative for a really long time 'cause you just have to get in so much documentation.”
In order to design a building that could receive a LEED Gold Certification, the building materials must reflect the goals and values of the U.S. Green Building Council. This includes utilizing recycled materials and solar energy.
“85 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills, 38 percent of total materials were made with recycled content and 58 percent of total materials were manufactured regionally,” Duffie said in a press release.
The concept of biophilia, bringing nature inside in order to become one with it, runs throughout the building, giving students the illusion of actually walking outside. The idea behind this integration is helping reduce stress and anxiety.
“Spending time outside is known to reduce stress and anxiety, so the concept of bringing nature inside with our floor-to-ceiling windows and real plants can help to calm our patients,” said Deborah Beck, executive director for Student Health Services and Healthy Carolina.
Through biophilia, students can feel more at ease when entering the health center. The hope is that this may help more students seek out all of the services the Center for Health and Well-Being offers.
“The health center that serves students focuses on sustainable practices,” Beck said. “With the focus on sustainability and our comprehensive services, the Center for Health and Well-Being is truly a Patient Centered Medical Home where students can build relationships with their providers and be cared for in a state-of-the-art facility.”
As exciting at the LEED certification was for the team, Beck said creating an environmentally friendly building on campus is not about the awards.
“With our evidence-based design, colors that are known to be stress-reducing, our use of biophilia, overall messages of health and well-being, students are more comfortable coming here,” Beck said. “Having a more welcoming, healthy building sends the message that we’re interested in the holistic person or a patient’s overall health and well-being.”