Jan 28 2011
Alcoa (NYSE:AA) announced today that its Reynobond® aluminum composite material (ACM) contributed to the sustainable design of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, the first hospital in the Midwest to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification.
One of the largest hospitals in the Chicago area, the newly designed eight-story, 192-single room patient tower represents the hospital's commitment to providing healthier, sustainable surroundings for patients and their families.
Alcoa Architectural Products' Reynobond(R) aluminum composite material contributed to the sustainable design of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, the first hospital in the Midwest to achieve Gold LEED certification. The Alcoa material was featured on the new building's canopy and accent panels.
Architectural firm OWP/P Cannon Design of Chicago incorporated recycled, locally produced and environmentally sensitive materials such as terrazzo flooring, wood and aluminum composite material throughout the tower.
Alcoa's Reynobond ACM, in a Bright Silver Metallic Colorweld® 300XL finish, was used on the tower's canopy fascias and soffits, wall cladding and exterior and interior column covers. In addition, custom Pewter-colored Reynobond ACM was featured on the building's accent panels.
"The lightweight, formability and strength of our Reynobond ACM products allow architects to achieve designs that are not feasible with other materials. Every element of the structure becomes an element of design, through shaping, color and more," said Sid Peterson, Vice President Sales and Marketing for Alcoa Architectural Products.
Among the hospital's other sustainable design attributes are a green roof, planted with prairie grass seeds and varieties of alpine sedum, a low groundcover plant that is easy to maintain and drought tolerant; low-VOC paints, sealants, adhesives, plastics and carpeting to improve indoor air quality; and a unique rainwater management system that collects rainwater on-site and filters it through rooftop plantings and ultimately connects to the city storm system. In addition, more than 90 percent of the construction waste from the patient tower was recycled. As a result of these characteristics, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital has been recognized with several architectural and healthcare distinction awards for its environmentally responsible design.