Opened in October 2010, the $260 million glass-clad Rady Children’s Hospital Acute Care Pavilion in San Diego officially has been LEED® Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Designed by Stantec and built by McCarthy Building Companies Inc. the 279,000-square-foot facility is the first acute care hospital in the state to meet the standards of quality and safety mandated by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), while also meeting the level of occupant health and environmental sustainability required to earn it LEED Certified status, according to a McCarthy statement. The project was awarded 31 points in accordance with the LEED 2.1 rating system.

“Construction oversight of LEED-certified projects adds a heightened level of complexity to already complicated healthcare construction projects in California, based on the state’s strict criteria for earthquake safety,” says Tim Jacoby, vice president of facilities for Rady Children’s Hospital.

The facility’s exterior features storefront and curtainwall glass systems with colored accents, metal panels and railing; and a steel front entry canopy. Inside, the building receives abundant daylighting, even in operating rooms. Glass was fabricated by Northwestern Industries and installed by Tower Glass.