UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center Recognized for Dedication to Sustainability

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The UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center is the first hospital-based project in the region to receive LEED Gold certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).  Representatives from the USGBC – San Diego Chapter recently presented a plaque to the building project and design team.

“I am extremely proud of this team and the UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center,” said Randy Leopold, LEED^®AP, director of Health Care Architectural Services, UC San Diego Facilities Design & Construction.  “The design decision we made from the beginning laid the foundation for our being able to pursue LEED certification.  This Gold level certification recognition is the jewel in our crown.”

LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – promotes a “whole-building” approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in several key areas.  Though the Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center project began in 2005, prior to “LEED” guideline establishment, leadership at UC San Diego, along with the design and construction teams, believed in creating a building that was environmentally thoughtful. 

The facility design takes full advantage of the movement of the sun with shading devices and massing elements to minimize heat gain and reduce energy consumption.  The design also embraces the idea of blurring the lines between interior and exterior regions, to provide the facility with a “natural” feel that picks up on the stunning geography of the nearby coastal canyons. 

“It is no small task to achieve LEED certification after the design of the project was mostly complete,” said Doug Kot, Executive Director of the USGBC- San Diego Chapter.  “This team had established the right goals and accountability and was intuitively on their way toward building sustainability when we started working with them."

Kot went on to explain that the indoor environmental quality of UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center makes this building a superior facility for patients and staff.  “This building promotes good health by combining energy conservation techniques with the very best care available and that is what we are here to celebrate in this LEED project,” said Kot.