LEED for Healthcare « Therapeutic Landscapes Network

Register now for January EPA Webinar on wellness and sustainable practices for stormwater management

January 2, 2012 | by Naomi Sachs

Wetland pond at Medical Center of the Rockies. Images courtesy of BHA Design.

This EPA Webinar will be of interest to our members:

“Connecting Wellness & Environmental Health: Rain Gardens & Other Sustainable Landscaping Practices for Stormwater Management”

1/12/12, 12-2 EST
Register: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/577828378

Hospitals have a unique opportunity to connect patients and staff to nature through healing gardens. Learn how hospitals are designing their gardens to also manage stormwater. This webinar will give an overview of sustainable landscaping practices with a focus on rain gardens. Speakers will share their experiences of two New England hospital’s work in this area. Participants will learn how connecting wellness and environmental health can also help to satisfy other goals including stormwater compliance, LEED, aesthetics and community relations.

It’s exciting that the EPA has organized this webinar; I’ve registered and am looking forward to it.

Gimme Shelter! Shade in the healing garden

September 20, 2011 | by Naomi Sachs

Ulfelder rooftop garden, Massachusetts General Hospital. Photo by Naomi Sachs

I’ve been meaning to write this post all summer, and of course now it’s fall and here in the northeast, shade doesn’t seem as important anymore. But plenty of the country is still baking (if not on fire), and half of the world is just now headed into summer. I asked the TLN Facebook group to rate the importance of shade, on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the most important). Two people responded “11,” and one member, from TX, responded with 15. So here we go:

The importance of shade in the healing garden

I’m so tired of seeing “healing gardens” with no shade, or too little shade. I’ve seen many designs that are successful except for this one crucial element. I don’t know about you, but on a hot, bright day in August, the last place I want to be is outside in the sun, sweating and squinting. It’s gotten to the point where lack of shade doesn’t just make me sad, it makes me angry. Because while it’s a nice amenity in any public space, in the healthcare setting, shade truly is a matter of health.

Why provide shade?

1. Sun protection, from UV exposure and glare
For burn patients; the elderly; people with cancer; AIDS; traumatic brain injuries (TBI); psychiatric illnesses which require medications that increase photosensitivity (sensitivity to the sun); and other conditions where direct sun (UV) exposure is hazardous, shade is paramount. In addition, colored concrete is often recommended for outdoor healthcare environments because it reduces glare. This is one of the reasons why we have embraced Scofield as a Wonderful Sponsor.

2. Heat mitigation
Shade provides a cooling effect, thus facilitating use of outdoor space for as much of the year as possible. This is particularly important in regions where high temperatures discourage people from venturing outdoors.

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