This project for Oregon Health & Science University is the first LEED Platinum medical office tower in the country. Built in the fast-growing South Waterfront neighborhood of Portland, the striking tower is a showpiece for professional opportunities and business growth in the new district.
The challenge was integrating sustainable features with the hospital's critical surgical and research programs. Solar collectors and groundwater recovery systems had to be coordinated with sterile surgery suites. To make the daylighting plan work, designers had to anticipate the size and shape of future South Waterfront buildings. The final design is aligned almost east-west to take full advantage of passive solar heating in the winter.
The building also incorporates a special passive solar feature called a Trombe Wall – a thick wall faced with a layer of glass to trap and conduct heat. Solar heat migrates through the wall and radiates into the building’s interior in the late afternoon and evening. The Center for Health & Healing also incorporates features like solar shades with built-in photovoltaic panels, chilled beams that are 20 to 30 percent more energy efficient than conventional air conditioning and a bioreactor for on-site sewage treatment. The tower is 61% more energy efficient than Oregon Energy Code requirements and LEED/ASHRAE 90.1-1999 standards.