The Green Light

Spotlight on Sarkis & Siran Gabrellian Women’s & Children’s Pavilion at Hackensack University Medical Center

July | August 2008

It’s strikingly beautiful. For some people, it’s a workplace. For others, it’s a place of healing. Some are visitors, some passing through and some stopping for a long time.

All these people are touched by the glorious spaces of the Sarkis & Siran Gabrellian Women’s & Children’s Pavilion in the Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) in Hackensack, N.J.

The Pavilion was named one of the top 10 green hospitals in the country by The Green Guide.

One of the driving forces behind the development of such an outstanding place of healing is best-selling author and entrepreneur Deirdre Imus, whose passion for helping fragile and ill children spills over to protecting them from their very birth, and for whom the medical center’s Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology is named.

Underneath It All

When the Women’s & Children’s Pavilion project began, every effort was made to pay attention to all the details. The steel in the 300,000-square-foot infrastructure, the framework upon which the building hangs, is more than 95 percent recycled.

Certified-wood products were used throughout the build, which means no old-growth trees were harvested for this project.

The insulation in the walls is almost completely made of recycled denim blue jeans. The fabric meets or beats all commercial building requirements for insulation, and is free from formaldehyde off gassing and skin, eye and lung irritation that more typical fiberglass insulation can bring. Approximately 117,000 pairs of blue jeans were used.

The flooring is made of rubber. Rubber floors have many benefits. They don’t emit noxious fumes as many PVC-based products do. They don’t require the use of toxic cleaners, strippers, or sealers. And they’re quiet.

And for staff who are on their feet for hours at a time, they provide relief for aching feet and legs. As the workforce ages, keeping staff comfortable and healthy becomes more of a priority for hospitals than ever before.

Ceiling tiles are composed of recycled gypsum, which Imus characterizes as “sand.”

Walls are covered with paint that emits little or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The Patient Experience

Expectant mothers arrive at beautifully appointed labor rooms. Waiting in the closet is a “green” gown that just might be pink. Patient gowns and bathrobes are made of a minimum of 25 percent organic cotton, and the balance is composed of green cotton, which refers not to the color, but to the fact that it was processed without toxic chemicals.

Bed linens are also green. Harsh chemicals are not invited into the maternity area. In the bathroom, the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are all organic.

The millwork is composed largely of wheatboard and strawboard, which are alternatives to particleboard. They are readily renewable and free of the formaldehyde that permeates particleboard. The walls are composed of gypsum drywall made with recycled content.

Each private patient room is equipped with a wireless keyboard and a 32-inch flat-screen television. Being environmentally aware doesn’t equate to living in a hut with no amenities.

Cleaning products throughout the Pavilion are nontoxic, safer products than those often found in hospitals. Imus is passionate about this, and calls it Greening the Cleaning®.

“I believe even the environment in a hospital should heal,” said Imus.

Imus developed the Greening the Cleaning concept and it was immediately adopted by Hackensack University Medical Center in 2001 as a way to protect and improve the conditions within the hospital for patients, staff and visitors. The hospital was hoping for a cost-neutral result but found it actually saved 15 percent over the much more toxic cleaning products they had been using. The Greening the Cleaning program has been implemented in hundreds of hospitals, daycare facilities, schools and businesses nationwide.

Food service in the Sarkis & Siran Gabrellian Women’s & Children’s Pavilion is not typical hospital fare. The space itself resembles a restaurant, with rich red booths and soft lighting. Menus are available, and organic choices are indicated with a butterfly. In developing the menu, executive chef Franz Klampfer, Director of Nutrition and Food Management at Hackensack University Medical Center, worked with a group of children to expand their palates beyond junk food, and to teach them experientially that food that is good for them can also be delicious.

And speaking of the children, even the toys that abound in the waiting areas are made from formaldehyde- free wood and PVC-free plastic.

The Larger Environment

In addition to specifying recycled and other earthfriendly products for the construction and outfitting of the Pavilion, attention was paid to the world outside hospital walls.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs are used throughout the facility. Light shields on outdoor light towers focus the light on the ground, where it is needed, and avoids light pollution of the neighborhood. Sensors turn off lights in rooms when they are empty.

The Pavilion features a rooftop garden. Green roofing can help lower HVAC costs by insulating the structure from the sun, reducing heat islands and lowering cooling costs. Drip irrigation makes sure no water is wasted. In addition, the healing habitat is extended to the local wildlife, attracting birds and other creatures to the space.

Employees and visitors to the Pavilion are encouraged to explore alternative methods of travel to get there. Mass transit by bus and train is available nearby. Parking for bicycles is provided, as are showers and changing facilities. The parking garage has spaces set aside for alternative powered vehicles. Users can plug in to recharge their cars while they are in the hospital building.

Suzen Heeley, Director of Design and Construction for Hackensack University Medical Center, highlighted some of the design choices throughout the Pavilion.

“Our entire design and construction team has worked to make the Pavilion environmentally responsible, yet without compromising quality and good design. Women’s spaces feature warm earth tones, rich, dark woods, translucent panels inset with natural twigs and grasses, and custom-designed, patterned carpeting; shaded hanging light fixtures shed soft light to read by.

“The children’s hospital lobby features animated colored LED lighting creating constantly changing light shows, while video screens beneath cascading water empower children to project their own movement onto the screens,” said Heeley. “In patient areas, walls are sprinkled with colored lights and whimsical colors and shapes, lifting the spirits of children from 1 to 21.”

Artist Charles Forman created an interactive installation in the Children’s Hospital lobby. A thin waterfall runs over a display of what looks like plain tiles. But an overhead infrared camera captures movement of passers-by, and the display changes to subtly reflect the motion in front of it. The faster the movement, the quicker the colors phase. The art encourages children to experiment with movement and visually rewards them for doing so.

In the Women’s Hospital, shaded hanging lamps provide soft light for reading. Bright lights are available when needed for childbirth or other procedures, but when they are not in use, they are turned off, and more peaceful illumination is used.

The Sarkis & Siran Gabrellian Women’s & Children’s Pavilion exceeds all requirements set by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

In April 2008, Hackensack University Medical Center broke ground for the John Theurer Cancer Center, a 155,000-square-foot ambulatory cancer center. In keeping with its commitment to green and sustainable buildings, the $135 million facility will be built following LEED guidelines.