HEALTHCARE BUILDING DESIGN MODEL SHIFTS HOW HVAC IS HANDLED
SIERRA SPITULSKI , PE , LEED AP BD + C , ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL / STUDIO LEADER / MECHANICAL ENGINEER
As hospitals and health care facilities evolve , the HVAC systems within them must update to meet air quality and HVAC needs
• Hospitals , healthcare facilities and related medical buildings are changing HVAC systems to meet the needs of resiliency , new outpatient facility demands and energy efficiency .
• Additional air filtration is often designed into the hospital HVAC system .
What unusual systems or features are being requested to make hospital projects more energy efficient ?
Sierra Spitulski : We work with healthcare providers , builders and designers to create reliable , energyefficient facilities that safeguard their patient ’ s health and comfort while simultaneously reducing operating costs . Lately , we ’ ve been leveraging current code exemptions to decrease airflows in specific areas of the hospital during unoccupied hours through strategic zone level controls , finding creative ways to decarbonize , such as rejecting boiler fuel heat to raise the temperatures of the domestic hot and heating hot water systems , in addition to more obvious decarbonization efforts such as heat recovery chillers and electric boilers .
What types of sustainable features or concerns might you encounter for these buildings that you wouldn ’ t on other projects ?
SS : Simultaneous heating and cooling are not advantageous to energy efficiency efforts , but it ’ s almost completely unavoidable in a hospital due to necessary dehumidification of sensitive spaces , including operating rooms that have much lower room temperature requirements . Understanding this challenge from the beginning of the design process can allow for a more targeted engineering approach . Our healthcare team understands every phase of the master planning process , and they will thoroughly evaluate facilities to create an ideal master plan that fits all needs .
What are some of the challenges or issues when designing for water use in healthcare facilities , particularly buildings with high water needs ?
SS : Hospitals are not places for lowest-flow fixtures due to the need for cleanliness : handwashing , janitorial services , housekeeping , laundry , cooking , and sterilization . All of the processes use a ton of water , especially in kitchens and equipment sterilization . When designing to optimize or reduce water usage , it ’ s important to consider end-use and contamination control .
How have you and your team addressed the unique air requirements of COVID-19 ?
SS : For one recent project , we were asked to create a pandemic-ready pod within the emergency department for highly contagious patients . To protect the staff and nurses working around patients , computational fluid dynamic modeling of air distribution was performed on a typical emergency department scenario . This allowed us to design the HVAC distribution in a way that optimized infection control which can help reduce the spread of disease and illness .
What is the most challenging thing when designing HVAC systems in healthcare buildings ?
SS :: Challenges are abundant when planning HVAC for hospitals . Equipment that is seismically certified in California comes from a much smaller pool of resources and is not always readily available . Long lead times for this specialty equipment impact construction schedules , cost and facility cashflow . Infection control protocols and limitations to shutdown times require detailed construction procedures . Then , when the new equipment is being installed in a live 24 / 7 acute care hospital , it ’ s often necessary to have an engineer in the field with the contractors to assist with troubleshooting as the room for error is small – and this is likely happening in the middle of the night .