Women & Infants Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

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Project Background

From early design charrettes to assembling a mock Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a diverse project team set out, not to “chase points”, but to design a 140,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art, single-bed, green NICU. The focus was on whole building performance, thoughtfully connecting five levels of new programming space over a former brownfields site in a bustling urban setting.

Strategies and Results

The NICU project implemented several sustainable site strategies. A storm water system reduces the burden on city infrastructure by capturing rain water, directing it to a filtration system and allowing it to permeate into the ground. A light colored roof prevents heat build-up, mitigating the “heat island” effect, and allows mechanical equipment to run more efficiently. From preferred parking spaces for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles to bicycle racks, site design encourages modes of transportation that have low impact on the environment.

The project was designed to reduce water usage by more than 30% compared to a conventional building, saving more than one million gallons of water a year. This was achieved with highly efficient plumbing fixtures and drought tolerant landscaping. Efficient mechanical equipment, increased insulation, and high performance glazing reduce by nearly 20% overall energy consumption.

The project recycled 89% of the waste from the construction process and used products and materials with recycled content that totaled more than 20% of the material budget. More than 10% were sourced and manufactured regionally. Products with recycled content reduce the impact of extracting and processing raw materials.

The indoor environmental quality of the NICU was the most important design consideration. The mechanical system generates 30% more fresh air than is normally required to enhance the well being of patients, families, and staff. Day lighting, work station layout, temperature controls and soundproofing provide for maximum comfort. Adhesives, paints, and carpets with low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) reduce sources of indoor air pollutants. Moreover, an indoor air quality plan was implemented during the construction phase. A commissioning agent was used to guide the design, installation and start-up of the building’s operational systems to ensure optimum performance.

“The single-family room design creates an environment that is sensitive to the needs of the baby and promises to have a profound effect on the recovery, growth and long-term outcome of a tiny infant. The unit already achieves some of the best clinical outcomes in the nation, but this new environment should decrease dependence on respiratory support, decrease complications, improve weight gain, shorten hospital stays and improve the infants’ developmental outcomes.” Dr. James Padbury, Chief of Pediatrics

About Women & Infants Hospital

Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, a Care New England hospital, is one of the nation’s leading specialty hospitals for women and newborns. The primary teaching affiliate of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Newborn Pediatrics, Women & Infants is the tenth largest obstetrical service in the country with more than 9,700 deliveries per year. In 2003, Brown University and Women & Infants were named a National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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