Green Education

UH JABSOM Sustainable Design

As one of the state's largest consumers of energy and water, a significant contributor to its traffic load and waste stream, and an active guardian of its cultural history and customs, the University of Hawaii has a major role in safeguarding Hawaii's precious natural and social legacies. In 2002, the University of Hawaii adopted sustainability - defined as living in ways that meet our present needs without limiting the potential of future generations to met their needs - as a guiding principle and began instituting sustainability policies and practices throughout the UH System.

UH John A. Burns School of Medicine is a pioneer of sustainable design. The facility is the first to incorporate energy efficiency and state-of-the-art innovations in both its laboratories and offices by adopting U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health:
  • Sustainable site development
  • Water savings
  • Energy efficiency
  • Materials selection
  • Indoor environmental quality
Green building practices used on the University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine substantially reduce and eliminate environmental impacts by:
  • Minimizing operating costs for the State of Hawai'i
  • Increasing worker productivity
  • Reducing potential liability resulting from indoor air quality problems
  • Providing a sustainable model for future University of Hawaii buildings
Technological innovations include a flywheel system, use of cold seawater in the cooling system, and light shelves. The flywheel system keeps power flowing to critical systems during brief electrical interruptions, assuring that medical experiments can continue. The Central Chiller Plant replaces the use of standard cooling towers and will save roughly 30 million gallons of potable water and reduce electrical consumption. The system is the first of its kind in Hawaii and was designed and built by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. Interior lighting featuring "light shelves" on many windows reduces the need for artificial lighting by reflecting daylight into the room.

Green Education Guided Tour Program

JABSOM has implemented on-going guided tours which navigate through the main lobby, cafeteria, health sciences library, auditorium, clinical skills center and Teleheath department in the Medical Education Building. The tour integrates an explanation of green design measures in and around the building that help reduce the annual operating cost of the facility and the enhancement of the educational and working environment.

Guided tours of the facility are available upon request. Please contact Tina Shelton, UH JABSOM Communications Director to schedule an appointment.

Phone: 808-692-0897
Email: sheltont@hawaii.edu

Learn more about Sustainable Design achieved in the UH JABSOM Facility through the JABSOM Green Guide, available online for downloading.

Links

Download the JABSOM "Green Guide" in PDF format

United States Green Building Council
http://www.usgbc.org

UH Office of Sustainability
http://www.hawaii.edu/sustain/


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