The UNM Health Sciences Center Business and Communications Center has received a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Certificate.
According to a UNM press release, the 104,000-square-foot building that is home to Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) is the latest UNM building to go green and receive LEED Silver certification.
Project ECHO, created by UNM professor of medicine Dr. Sanjeev Arora, is an innovative and collaborative “model of medical education and care management that empowers clinicians everywhere to provide better care to more people, right where they live." The initiative provides accessibility to health services in “rural and underserved areas” in 22 states and five countries outside of the United States.
The building, which recently underwent major renovations, is referred to as “1650” because of its location at 1650 University Blvd.
LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for design, construction and operation of high-performance buildings across the globe, according to the press release.
“A LEED-certified building saves money and resources and has a positive impact on the health of occupants while promoting renewable, clean energy. To receive a LEED certification, building projects must satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification,” according to the statement.
According to the LEED website, receiving the Silver LEED designation requires 50-59 points on its scale. The next level, Gold, takes 60-79 points, and Platinum 80 points.
“This was a challenging project,” UNM Director of Capital Projects Rick Henrard said in a statement. “It was LEED-Commercial Interiors, which is often difficult to achieve. Re-use of some original building equipment, and having only portions of the building envelope replaced, led to creative opportunities for this facility. The commitment from the architectural and engineering team along with our staff produced exceptional results.”
