Forte Health

Project Summary

New Zealand’s first Green Star healthcare facility delivers efficiency, comfort and sustainability beyond expectations. Forte Health, located in the centre of Christchurch, is a multi-disciplinary medical practice and private hospital which achieved 4 Star Green Star certification in 2014.

Project Name: Forte Health 

Address: 132 Peterborough St, Christchurch

Points Awarded: 47 points

Rating Achieved: 4 Green Star Custom Built

Building Owner: Nobby Holdings

Architect: Wilson and Hill Architects & Klein Architects

Building Services Engineer: Alan Reay Consultants, Powell Fenwick Consultants, Pedersen Read Consulting Electrical Engineers, Acoustic Engineering Services

Quantity surveyor: Lawrie Saegers, Rawlinsons & Neil ODonnell, RLB

Main contractor: Fletcher Construction Company

GSAP: Scott Waller, Powell Fenwick Consultants

Tenants: Various

Peter Davidson, co-owner and tenant of the building said that not only were the owners committed to sustainability throughout the build, but also to involving their colleagues on the journey. The owners had three key drivers for delivering a green building:

• Social conscience - to do the right thing for the environment and for Christchurch.
• Brand and marketing - to establish a point of difference and make a statement in their sector. The owners want Forte to be a leading private hospital not just through providing excellent medical care, but also through delivering a high performing building that contributes to the health and wellbeing of the clients/patients. They believe it would be a contradiction to have a building in which people were treated for their ailments, but where the building environment itself made them sick.
• Commercial and economic benefits – the owners know that investing in good whole-of-life building performance will result in lower operational costs. The aim was to realise long-term financial, brand and reputational benefits by going the extra mile in high quality design, construction and specifications from the outset of the project.

Technology plays an important part in the performance of this building which has reduced energy demand (and corresponding GHG emissions) by more than 40% compared with like buildings. State-of-the-art operating theatre ventilation and ‘scavenging’ devices take potentially infected air out of operating theatres to improve patient and surgical staff health. Occupancy-sensing DALI lighting was used throughout the entire base build and fitouts, and sub-metering has been implemented to not only understand the building’s consumption habits, but also those of each tenant. A solar hot water system also contributes to the building’s energy efficiency and high-efficiency water fittings reduce water use.

Perhaps even more critical than the technology installed, is the behaviour of the building occupants. The owners of Forte are also tenants of the building which helped drive their determination to create a healthy work environment, but also continues to propel their commitment to the efficient day-to-day running of the facility. Nigel Wing, Manager of the Forte Health building, is supported by the owners to help staff to understand how they can take control of workplace comfort and building performance. He encourages good-natured inter-floor and inter-departmental competitiveness for actions such as turning off lights, proactively managing air-conditioning and reporting on waste sorting practices – reducing energy use and waste to landfill. Through this commitment to operating efficiently, energy and waste costs have come in well below original projections.

Tenants report high satisfaction with the building using words like ‘comfortable’, ‘modern’, ‘secure’, ‘safe’ and ‘warm’. All tenancy fitouts use low-VOC and certified materials and products, and these principles will continue to be stipulated in future tenancy agreements. Patients also regularly make positive comments and many measures have been taken to make them feel comfortable and at ease, such as high levels of natural light, a concierge to provide greetings, directions and exit care, controllable air conditioning in each hospital room and practices such as allowing patients to walk to theatre where possible. At Forte, patient welfare, security and comfort – as well as sustainability – have been taken to new levels.

Management

• Cooperation with the Green Star Accredited Professional (GSAP) throughout the design process for Green Star advice and input
• Commissioning for the Mechanical/BMS, hydraulic, electrical and fire protection services
• Further building tuning to achieve optimal performance on an individualised project basis
• At least 70% of project waste was re-used or recycled throughout the build process
• Building Management and Building User Guides were developed around a formalised communication strategy to ensure transfer of knowledge regarding the optimal operational practices, including information for building tours
• Environmental Management Plan developed

Indoor Environmental Quality

• The ground floor fitouts use a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) AC system for heating and cooling
• Fresh air and exhaust are via heat recovery ventilation units mounted in the ceiling space
• The hospital fitouts on part of the ground floor and the upper two floors use air-cooled heat pumps and a chiller to produce heating and cooling water to reticulate to the various air handlers and fan coil units
• All HVAC systems are occupant controlled per-fitout, therefore much more efficient than whole-building systems
• Specialty mounts in place to eliminate any vibrations and excess sounds produced by building systems.

Energy

• Occupancy-sensing DALI lighting for the entire base building and fitouts
• Submetering solutions implemented to understand consumption habits for the whole building and each tenant.
• >40% reduction in energy consumption and corresponding greenhouse gas emissions

Transport

• ‘Carpool or Fuel Efficient’ car-parks provided on site to encourage more efficient modes of transportation
• Secure cycle parks for employees and visitors, and end of trip facilities including showers and lockers to further encourage those commuting to use alternative modes of transportation
• Site is central and located near public transport hubs

Water

• High-efficiency water fittings used
• Landscape irrigation systems designed to reduce the consumption of resources
• Solar hot water system

Materials

• Low VOC and environmental choice materials, as well as all coatings and joinery. Agreement that these principles will be stipulated into tenancy contracts in the future

Land Use & Ecology

• Re-use of previously developed land

Emissions

• Use of ozone-friendly refrigerants and insulants with depletion potentials of zero
• 62% reduction in the amount of stormwater that runs off the site in the event of a storm
• Controlled lighting to avoid night-time light pollution