Lake Forest Hospital receives energy, environmental certification

LAKE FOREST - Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification, the hospital announced.

The performance-oriented system is designed for rating buildings based on energy and environmental principles for sustainable sites, including water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor air quality, innovation and design process. It is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.

"Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital is committed to using environmentally sustainable practices as it delivers top-tier health care to the region," said Thomas J. McAfee, president of Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital. "From the beginning, we were committed to building an environmentally-friendly structure, including smart lights and building systems that reduce energy consumption, decrease water use and increase recycling."

The campus, which opened a year ago, includes 116 acres of open space, with more than 7,000 feet of pedestrian and bicycle paths, nearly 700 new trees and a six-acre pond to support stormwater retention and reduce area flooding. The 500,000-square-foot building offers patients, staff and visitors access to ample daylight and views of nature throughout, including an external waterfall, which supports all initial plant development, rain water harvesting and long-term plantings maintenance.