Bethesda Facilities Certified LEED Gold

By Ensign Kat Smith, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Public Affairs

BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- The Officer-in-Charge of Construction (OICC) Bethesda hosted a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ceremony at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) May 5, recognizing the LEED Gold certification of the new in-patient and out-patient facilities.

Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington commissioned OICC in 2008, to oversee Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) construction at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) Bethesda.

"It's a good time to reflect on what our mission is, particularly for NAVFAC," said Capt. Steve Hamer, OICC commanding officer. "I think that we see ourselves as good stewards of resources. I think that's what our Navy and our Department of Defense expect of us."

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded the Gold certification for the newly built Arrowhead and America facilities, which were scored together as one project.

"Today, once again, the Navy is setting the example," said Jason Hartke, vice president of national policy, USGBC. "Today's achievement, the America building and the Arrowhead facility will be a shining example to us all; a beacon that inspires others to follow."

The America building, located to the left of the main tower, is designed as an outpatient facility providing services for cancer patients, amputees and other outpatient clinical needs. The Arrowhead building, located to the right of the tower, houses emergency in-patient services.

"This is the largest outpatient building in the military health system; right behind us," said Vice Adm. John Mateczun, Joint Task Force (JTF) Capital Medicine commanding officer. "When you add it and the parking garage, and the building that's on the other side, that's a million square feet of construction. So when we can achieve energy efficiencies there, it's a great thing."

The location of the project, promotes views to the main tower, open space and contributes to the overall healing environment for the wounded warriors. The proximity of the new facilities to mass transit impacts the congestion in the surrounding community and improves the accessibility of the facility.

Achieving LEED Gold certification for the New Construction facilities at NNMC was an exceptional feat as hospitals are inherently energy inefficient since they operate around the clock and use high-energy major medical equipment, said Andrew Gutberlet, supervisory project manager, OICC.

Two of the most significant contributions were site selection and energy efficiency. One of the most notable energy conservation systems is the use of a heat recovery system within the two facilities, which significantly decreases the energy cost of operating the buildings and allows for other enhancements that promote quality of care for wounded warriors.

The heat recovery wheels and other energy-efficient improvements result in a 32 percent reduction in energy usage. This corresponds to an energy savings of more than $580 per year. This savings exceeds the projected 50-year lifetime of this facility, which is a savings of more than $29 million in energy costs alone.

"As we accept the certification for LEED Gold, we recognize our responsibility to the nation, to the taxpayer and to the American people to be good stewards of the resources that have been provided us," said Col. Charles Callahan, deputy commander, NNMC. "But more importantly, we care for America's treasures when we take care of the warriors and their families. And we accept this plaque and these facilities on behalf of the men and women who will care for those warriors here in the next year, and for the next century as we become Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda."

Under a mandate from the Secretary of the Navy, all new construction must meet the USGBC LEED Silver Certification requirements. The design and construction team for these buildings, a collaboration between Clark and Balfour Beatty construction companies and their design subcontractors, structured their design with the intent to meet that standard. The project achieved 30 percent more points than is required to achieve a LEED Silver certification.

This achievement exceeds the requirements of the executive order and provides an outstanding level of environmental stewardship, energy efficiency and sustainability that directly supports the goals of the U.S. Navy and DOD.