Bronson Advanced Radiology Services Building Is First LEED-Certified Healthcare Facility in KalamazooOctober 19, 2009 Kalamazoo, MI -- Bronson Advanced Radiology Services (BARS) building at 524 South Park Street in Kalamazoo has become the first LEED(r)-certified healthcare facility in Kalamazoo County and the first LEED-certified radiology building in Michigan.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Developed by U.S. Green Building Council, LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies. The certification is based on scores attained in five categories including: sustainable sites, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor air quality, and innovation and design process.
The BARS facility has been open to the public since June 23, 2008. Services at the site include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), mammography, bone densitometry, ultrasound, general diagnostic X-rays, nuclear medicine testing and a lab draw station.
Bronson strives to create a healthy, healing environment in all of its buildings to meet the needs of patients and families, its staff and the community. Mike Way, Bronson vice president of facilities, says, "Achieving LEED certification demonstrates the depth of commitment that our organization has to stewardship of resources and sustainable design. This eco-friendly project also demonstrates the value of teamwork, as we collaborated with our physician partners at Advanced Radiology Services, PC-Kalamazoo Division; our design partner, Diekema Hamann Architecture + Engineering; and the CSM Group, our longtime partner in construction management."
"Bronson's thoughtful approach and vision for their community was again demonstrated by the pursuit of the area's first LEED certified healthcare facility," said Steve East, CSM Group president. "We are invigorated to share the common passion for sustainability with our longest standing client, and for the opportunity to serve as their technical advisor to provide planned, responsible solutions to their facility needs."
Many features were incorporated into the BARS facility to prevent pollution, conserve energy and promote recycling. Efficient use of the facility was also achieved by improving service adjacencies and the flow of movement within the structure.
Some of the attributes of the BARS facility that contributed to its LEED-certification were:
According to Vicki Nelson, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP, a senior principal and board certified specialist in healthcare architecture for Diekema Hamann Architecture + Engineering, "Sustainable buildings are also healthier places to work . We appreciate Bronson's and Advanced Radiology Services' commitment to the environment, the health and comfort of the building's users, and the actions they have taken to foster redevelopment in our downtown neighborhoods. We are extremely proud to have worked with them to introduce the first LEED-certified healthcare facility to our community." # # # For more information about Diekema Hamann Architecture + Engineering (www.dhae.com), please contact: Steve Hassevoort at 269-373-1108 or shassevoort@dhae.com. For more information about CSM Group (www.csmgroup.com), please contact: Jason Manshum at 269-488-6621 or jason.manshum@csmgroup.com. For more information about Bronson (bronsonhealth.com), please contact: Erin Smith at 269-341-8747 or smither@bronsonhg.org.
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