Social sustainability in healthcare facilities: a rating tool for analysing and improving social aspects in environments of care.

INTRODUCTION: Nowadays several rating systems exist for the evaluation of the sustainability of buildings, but often their focus is limited to environmental and efficiency aspects. Hospitals are complex constructions in which many variables affect hospital processes. Therefore, a research group has developed a tool for the evaluation of sustainability in healthcare facilities. METHODOLOGY: The paper analyses social sustainability issues through a tool which evaluates users' perception from a the quality and well-being perspective. It presents a hierarchical structure composed of a criteria and indicators system which is organised through a weighing system calculated by using the Analytic Network Process. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The output is the definition of a tool which evaluates how Humanisation, Comfort and Distribution criteria can affect the social sustainability of a building. CONCLUSION: Starting from its application, it is evident that the instrument enables the improvement of healthcare facilities through several design and organisational suggestions for achieving healing and sustainable architectures.

Demystifying first-cost green building premiums in healthcare.

This study assesses the extent of "first-cost green building construction premiums" in the healthcare sector based on data submitted by and interviews with 13 current LEED-certified and LEED-registered healthcare project teams, coupled with a literature survey of articles on the topics of actual and perceived first-cost premiums associated with green building strategies. This analysis covers both perceived and realized costs across a range of projects in this sector, leading to the following conclusions: Construction first-cost premiums may be lower than is generally perceived, and they appear to be independent of both building size and level of "green" achievement; projects are using financial incentives and philanthropy to drive higher levels of achievement; premiums are decreasing over time; and projects are benefiting from improvements in health and productivity which, although difficult to monetize, are universally valued.

Higher performance healing environments.

Over the past five years, a remarkable confluence of unprecedented healthcare construction and green building tools and programs tailored for the healthcare sector have created a bold vision of what a 21st Century hospital can be. Informed by the fundamental precept of "first, do no harm", this quiet revolution is shaping the way hospitals and other healthcare facilities are planned, designed, constructed and operated.