How to Choose Lockers for Your School

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Whether you plan on building from the ground up or you’re performing some much-needed renovations at your school, you should consider a wide array of factors when selecting your building materials. However, while the foundation may be strong and reliable, you may want to consider changing some of the interior materials, like your lockers.

As a facility manager, you should consider all your options, not just for cost, but also for longevity. When it comes to choosing lockers, you’ll want to be sure that you’re making the right decision.

Determining Locker Life Cycles

When you’re looking at the costs related to new lockers, their life span should be considered. Ordering a new set of lockers is a major investment for your school, so you want to be sure that the lockers will last for a long time without having to be replaced soon after installation or repaired extensively.

During your research, you should look at products at both ends of the cost spectrum. While cheaper materials may seem to be the better option, they may actually end up costing you a lot more by wearing out sooner than expected. Sometimes, spending more upfront on higher-quality materials can be the most cost-efficient decision down the line, as the lockers may hold up better, while the cheaper alternatives may require extensive maintenance and repairs.

Choosing the Right Materials

After you’ve found some great locker options, you’ll want to compare them as far as durability and longevity to see which locker material is the best choice for your school.

Metal is the most popular material used for lockers due to its strong construction and easy installation. However, there are some issues with metal lockers that may alter your choice of this material.

Rust is a major factor to consider. This is more common in locker rooms, but once present, rust removal can be time-consuming and painstaking. Metal lockers also require a fresh coat of paint every so often, which can lead to harmful VOC emissions.

A material that some facility managers use instead of metal is HDPE (high-density polyethylene), which is a highly durable solid plastic. Choosing HDPE over standard metal has many advantages. The number one advantage is that HDPE lockers have a greater impact resistance than metal, resulting in fewer dents and surface damage than normal metal lockers.

And since HDPE is a performance plastic, it isn’t susceptible to rust growth. It can even stand up to mold growth due to its solid plastic construction.

Maintaining Your Lockers

Keeping up with locker maintenance is important. Whether the lockers endure heavy damage or some light scratches, it’s important to address the issues early on.

After about five years, metal lockers will require paint, maintenance, and of course, cleaning. However, when you choose HDPE as your locker material, you only have to perform some light cleaning, as heavy maintenance and repainting aren’t necessary.

After 10 years of use, HDPE lockers will require some minor maintenance, while metal lockers will probably need multiple paint jobs, as well as more involved maintenance to ensure that the lockers are in good shape to continue serving their storage purposes.

Why HDPE is the Better Choice

While metal lockers may seem to be cost-effective during installation, they can become more costly over time when they require a lot of attention and maintenance. HDPE locker materials, on the other hand, require little maintenance and no paint touch-ups.

You don’t have to hire crews to conduct extensive maintenance on the lockers due to their solid construction and their material that’s resistant to most locker-related issues. They mainly require sporadic cleaning rather than an entire time-consuming and costly repainting process. Choosing HDPE material over metal is a smart choice when factoring in the total costs of the lockers and their maintenance.

Taking the Next Step

When it comes to making the final decision of which type of lockers to use at your school, you’ve seen here that there are a lot of factors to consider to make the best choice for your school and budget. You learned that metal can be a useful material for your lockers, but it’s not without its flaws.

But determining which material you inevitably go with shouldn’t be too hard once you look at the projected life span of each material while factoring in the expected maintenance and repair costs. You’ll see which option is better for your school in term of quality, longevity, and sustainability.

Want to learn more about how to choose the right lockers for your school? Check out this blog post, School Lockers Ranked by Durability, Longevity & More, from your friends at Scranton Products.

Renovating Your School’s Locker Room: Your Go-To Guide

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An outdated locker room isn’t just an eyesore. It can be downright dangerous for students and faculty depending on the materials used and the overall condition of the facility. Although, completely renovating your school’s locker room is no small task, as any superintendent or school board member can tell you. So to help you make sense of the renovation process, we’ve created this custom guide!

Follow the steps of this guide so you can easily renovate your school’s locker room!

Understanding Your Renovation from Start to Finish

Depending on the scale of your renovation project, planning, and construction can take months or even years. To make sure that your plan goes off without a hitch, it’s important to understand each stage of the renovation process. Equally as important, you’ll want to spend adequate time at each stage to see the process through completely. Trying to rush through a stage could result in extended projected timelines and going over budget.

Steps Toward Getting Started on Your Locker Room Renovation

Step 1: Fundraising

Having the money to pay for your renovation is probably the most important step. Most schools acquire these funds through fundraising or by selling a school bond. A school bond is kind of like a mortgage for a house, where a lender agrees to give you a certain amount of money with the understanding that you’ll make regular payments plus interest to repay the loan.

Step 2: Pre-Planning

During the pre-planning stage, you’ll want to establish a planning committee. If possible, it’s best to form your committee with people from a diverse set of disciplines and backgrounds. At this stage, the planning committee will be primarily responsible for determining what the goals are for the facility.

Step 3: Programming

Defining the types of activities and requirements of the space you’re designing is known as programming, a term borrowed from architectural planning. This is one of the most crucial stages of the renovation project and needs to be completed early on. Otherwise, you could end up delaying the project or, even worse, creating a facility that doesn’t meet your original expectations.

Check out Scranton Product’s Tufftec Lockers Product Kit Now!

Step 4: Schematic Design & Development

Now that you’ve completed your programming and come up with project budgets, you’re ready to talk to an architect and have them begin designing your facility. Review these designs with your planning committee and check in periodically so you can fine-tune the design as the architect works on diagramming the locker room.

Once the schematics are approved, the architect will get to work creating blueprints. These blueprints will also be used during the bidding stage and for estimating construction costs, so it’s important that your planning committee reviews the blueprints closely and makes sure they’re exactly what you want.

Step 5: Bidding

Once the architect has prepared all the proper documents, you’re ready to start taking bids for your project. During this stage, you’ll show your blueprints and other paperwork to general contractors, electricians, carpenters, and other needed subcontractors. They’ll in turn bid on the project (offer you a price to complete the project).

Step 6: Construction

The planning process is officially over! Now, you’re ready to break ground, so to speak, and start with the actual renovation of your locker room. During this time, you should plan to visit the locker room regularly to make sure that the renovations are being carried out according to your specifications. Any issues should be brought to the attention of the architect and project administrators.

Step 7: Purchasing Equipment/Furniture/Materials

Now’s the time to start finding the right equipment and materials to help get the job done. Look out for any low-cost maintenance materials, such as lockers, partitions, and even benches. Once you’ve reviewed all of your options, choose the materials that are guaranteed to last you for a considerable amount of time. Metal lockers are the usual choice for locker rooms, however, HDPE plastic lockers have proven to outlast metal lockers and they even provide a more durable structure.

Check out Scranton Product’s Duralife Lockers Product Kit Now!

Step 8: Debut Your New Locker Room

Once the crew has made the finishing touches on your locker room with installing the materials and having painted the walls, you’re ready to unveil the newly renovated locker room!

Renovating Your School’s Locker Room

Now that you’re aware of the crucial steps towards renovating your locker room, you’re ready to get started! Remember that a renovation project of this magnitude requires considerable funds, the best materials, and the right crew to get the job done. A project like this takes time, but after it’s finished, you’ll have a newly renovated locker room that you can be proud of.

Want to learn more about choosing the right materials for your locker room renovation? Check out this blog post, Lockers That Can Save Your School Money, from your friends at Scranton Products.

Common Questions About Shower Stalls

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If your facility has a designated shower area and locker room, there are a few steps that you need to take to ensure that the area is protected from the elements. You also want to be sure that you’re using the best materials to help reduce your maintenance costs and the man hours spent cleaning and servicing your shower stalls. When it comes to picking the right shower stalls, you’ll need to know what to look for in order to get the best results.

Here’s some of the most common questions about shower stalls.

How Can I Improve Privacy for the Shower Stall Occupants?

Most people can feel pretty vulnerable in the shower, especially if there are several other people showering in the same area. There are several different styles of shower stalls, including open partitions, which provide the most exposure. Enclosed shower stalls seem to be the preferred model, but there are unavoidable sightlines in the door gap or through the bottom of the stall sometimes. The best way to improve privacy in the shower area is by utilizing a material that leaves no sightlines and offers an enclosed and secure experience for the occupant.

How Can I Combat the Growth of Mold and Mildew?

Constantly scrubbing away mold in your shower stalls may seem like an uphill battle because everything is working against you. Mold and mildew thrive in moist environments. Since shower stalls constantly have water flowing through them, the idea of tackling the mold may seem daunting. However, this could be because of the materials you’re using for your shower stall. Finding the right materials can help reduce the time spent cleaning by resisting mold growth while standing up to the constant exposure to moisture and humidity.

Why Do I Have to Replace My Shower Stalls?

Shower stalls can take a beating over time. They can easily become scratched and dented after just a few uses. You’ll want to keep your shower stalls in great condition and lasting as long as possible. However, if their interior becomes infested with mold, replacing the shower stall is a must. When it’s time for a replacement, you’ll want to find a material that can last a long time in the harsh shower elements and can forgo the costly replacement.

Is There a Way that I Can Reduce My Shower Stall Maintenance Costs?

Considering the elements that can have a negative effect on your shower stalls, you don’t want to forego maintenance because it could lead to detrimental health issues for your occupants. However, you can replace your shower stalls with a more durable material that can withstand the moisture and humidity.

HDPE solid plastic is a great option for your shower stalls because it’s durable, solid, and dent- and scratch-resistant. Best of all, though, is that HDPE solid plastic is nonabsorbent. It can actually resist the growth of mold, which can help save you costs when it’s time for maintenance because these stalls can be power washed and steamed cleaned.

Want to learn more tips on maintaining your shower stalls? Check out this blog post, How to Remove Mold in Your Shower and Locker Rooms, from your friends at Scranton Products.

Why Choose Low Emitting Materials

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That new paint and carpet smell in a home, school or building isn’t just annoying. It can actually be hazardous to your health. Many of the building materials we use every day emit chemicals during and after installation. This includes materials such as:

Purple Duralife Lockers Colors

  • Interior paints
  • Interior adhesives and sealants
  • Flooring and carpeting
  • Manufactured wood products
  • Furniture and upholstery
  • Ceilings, walls, thermal and acoustic insulation

What these materials have in common is that they all contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The most common contaminant of indoor air, VOCs are associated with a range of health effects, and can be a particular concern for children, seniors, and people with respiratory problems.

 

Selecting Low VOC and No VOC Products and Materials

The good news is that many low VOC and no VOC products are now widely available, making it easier for architects, designers and facilities managers to include low emitting products and materials in the design of their projects.

Selecting low emission products and materials not only improves human health and protects the environment, it can also help projects achieve LEED credits, an important consideration in today’s design and construction.

At Scranton Products, we believe in supporting a healthier environment. As a leading manufacturer of lockers, toilet partitions, and other HDPE (high density polyethylene) products, Scranton Products adheres to the highest standards, developing low emitting products that meet LEED requirements for air quality and sustainability, as well as GREENGUARD emissions standards.

Our products are free of VOC emissions, are eligible for LEED credits, and are GREENGUARD Gold Certified, meeting strict certification requirements for use in schools and healthcare facilities. In addition, all of our products are made from recycled materials and are 100% recyclable.

By selecting low emitting products made with Scranton Products HDPE, architects, designers and facilities managers can help to improve the indoor air quality of their projects while reducing environmental impact.

For more information on selecting Scranton Products low-emitting, sustainable products for your project, click on the link below.

Contact Scranton Products Today

LEED Building Is A Better Building

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LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized “green” building certification. LEED certification standards lead to a safer, greener, cleaner and more energy efficient environment within the building where they are applied. With a certification process more than 25 years in the making, LEED has grown to become the most widely used green building rating system in the world. As a process, it offers third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at reducing energy and water usage, promoting better indoor air quality, and improving quality of life.

 

Third Party Verification System

As an internationally recognized third-party verification system, LEED influences how buildings and communities are planned, constructed, maintained and operated. In order for a building project to earn LEED Certification, it must meet certain criteria and goals within the following categories:

Location and Transportation – how close a project is to mass transit
Materials and Resources – use of locally sourced, sustainable products
Water Efficiency – reducing potable water usage
Energy and Atmosphere – improving energy performance and indoor air quality
Sustainable Sites – utilizing nearby natural resources and ecosystems that can naturally take part of the design, minimizing environmental pollution
Regional Priority Credits – addressing a particular concern based on location
Innovation – any idea not covered under the main LEED areas

Each of these credit categories contains a varied series of suggested opportunities. The building project earns points when it properly uses and integrates these opportunities. The LEED certification is applicable to both residential and commercial construction, and projects can earn one of four certification levels: Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum.

 

Image used with the permission of the U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. under its “Limited License” provision

 

Benefits Of LEED Certification

 

Any project, at any stage in development, can pursue LEED certification. Although LEED-certified projects typically have a higher initial investment because of stricter standards for construction, materials and labor, this initial investment can be recovered with lower operating costs. According to a study conducted by the New Building Institute, LEED buildings average a 24 percent decrease in energy consumption. In addition to reduced energy and water usage, LEED buildings also provide substantial reductions in costs associated with building maintenance, management of construction waste, and liability.

LEED-certified buildings also offer many other benefits. Typically built with occupant comfort in mind, these buildings offer increased sunlight, open spaces, and significantly better air quality, creating healthier, more comfortable, and very attractive places to live, work or play. For communities, having a LEED certified building not only reinforces the community’s commitment to sustainability, it also brings jobs to the community, since one of LEED’s best practices is utilizing local labor and materials wherever possible.

 

A Commitment to Sustainability
At Scranton Products, we believe in supporting a healthier environment and are focused on providing our customers innovative sustainable solutions that create a positive environmental impact.

 

Because our products are designed to meet specific LEED requirements, incorporating Scranton Products sustainable HDPE materials into your projects can contribute points toward LEED v4 certification in the following categories:

 

Material & Resources:

·    Recycled Content

·    REACH Optimization

·    Construction Waste Diversion

Indoor Air Quality:

·      Low Emitting Materials

·      Interior Lighting – Surface

·       Reflectance

 

For more information on our complete suite of sustainable products, please contact us to start a conversation today. All of our products are 100% recyclable and are made from recycled materials, incorporating between 30 and 85% recycled content, including both post-consumer and pre-consumer materials. In addition, our products are free of VOC emissions and are GREENGUARD Gold Certified.

 

Lets talk about sustainability. Contact Scranton Products today.

Configurations of Toilet Partitions

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Configured for Beauty and Privacy

When choosing toilet partitions privacy, aesthetics, and durable performance are just a few aspects that need to be considered, and selecting the right configuration is essential to the overall design of your public restroom facility.  At Scranton Products, we believe in responding to client needs with innovative, customizable solutions, and we offer a full range of features, options, and configurations to help you create exceptional bathroom designs.

One of the most important concerns in a public restroom is privacy and Scranton Products offers several partition options that can be configured to meet your facility’s privacy concerns. Our Aria™, Eclipse®, and Hiny Hiders® partitions have variable configurations that deliver contemporary looks and superior privacy. You can customize the partitions in many different ways to achieve the level of privacy you require, from a standard 55” height to a 72” height. Choose sleek, smooth, minimum-sight design options for the ultimate in privacy and clean aesthetics, or select from an array of floor-mounted overhead-braced, ceiling-hung, or floor-to-ceiling configurations.

Our innovative Aria Partitions™ offer the highest degree of privacy and aesthetics. This shoeless system provides overlapping edges, continuous edge mounted hinges and floor mounted side panels, resulting in a striking, high-privacy design. Our striking Eclipse Partitions® provide a minimum-sight design that also delivers superior privacy and innovative aesthetics, featuring sleek hidden hardware and high-privacy angled door edges. While our Hiny Hiders® product line offers a range of configurations, privacy, and hardware options, providing the flexibility to create highly attractive and customized restroom designs, while offering superior value.

 

Superior Performance

When your bathroom facility is ready for an update, design options and material choice are important factors. Whether it’s providing privacy, eco-friendly design, resistance to harsh environments, bacterial resistance, or easy maintenance, we offer a full range of features, options, and configurations to create the unique storage solutions you require.

All of our systems are made with HDPE, and feature solid-core construction that is impermeable to moisture and resistant to mold, mildew and bacteria. They are also extremely durable and sustainable, manufactured from 100% recyclable materials. Made with a solid color throughout, there is never a need to paint these partitions, significantly reducing maintenance time and cost, and enhancing interior air quality.

To learn more about our high-quality toilet partitions and the range of configurations available, visit our website to download more detailed information on our complete product line. 

 

Product Transparency

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According to the U.S., Environmental Protection Agency, over ninety-percent of our time is spent indoors. Now more than ever, people want to know that they are living and working in a healthy environment. They demand to know the products surrounding them are safe, how they were made, and from what type of materials.

The New Normal

While we have not always taken additional steps to ensure our well being through awareness, it is fast becoming the norm. Environmental safety (both indoors and out) is topping the list as a priority.

Over the years, building product transparency has changed from a mere movement to a necessity within the construction industry. And as the demand for clean and healthier living grows, so does the need for greater transparency in building products and materials.

The benefits are clearly four-fold. Building owners are looking for ways to make buildings healthier for occupants. Architects are now identifying building products that are healthy, sustainable and environmentally friendly, enabling them to make informed decisions when specifying products and materials. Manufacturers can effectively market their products, and owners and occupants are gaining insight into how healthy and environmentally friendly their buildings – and the materials within them – are.

A Leader in Product Transparency

With a 30-year history in sustainable product development and production, Scranton Products has long led the way in meeting the demand for product transparency.

All of our products – including each of our locker lines, bathroom partitions, vanities and other HDPE products – are manufactured in the USA from American-made solid HDPE (high-density polyethylene), using recycled materials containing both pre- and post-consumer content. Free of VOC emissions, all of our products are eligible for LEED credits, and are GREENGUARD Gold Certified, meeting strict certification requirements for use in schools and healthcare facilities. In addition, all of our products are 100% recyclable and are available in 100% post-consumer material.

At Scranton Products, we have always been committed to supporting a healthier environment. If you would like to find out more about our low emitting products that meet both GREENGUARD emissions standards as well as LEED requirements for air quality and sustainability, please click on the link below.

Color And Texture Trends

3d rendering of a restaurant interior design

Color and texture are essential elements of design; they add personality and just the right amount of zest to create your own distinct creation. They help define a space while influencing our moods and behaviors. Designers use these elements to create contrast and depth, express emotion, and to create rich sensory experiences that stimulate our collective senses.

Color Trends Influence Industry

Color psychology studies the effect that different hues have on human behavior, and using specific colors in design to evoke different emotional responses is a trend that is gaining momentum. Color trends influence a wide variety of industries, and many organizations commit substantial resources to researching and identifying current color trends. Some of the paint manufacturing leaders such as Sherwin-Williams®, and Benjamin Moore® conduct significant research and commit their resources to identifying color trends. The Pantone Color Institute has chosen “Greenery” Pantone 15-0343 as their 2017 Color of the Year, as it evokes spring and renewal, while representing the global movement towards sustainability and protection of the environment.

Providing Visual Contrast With Texture

The combination of color and texture conveys a distinct experience, so the right mix is key to the overall design. Today’s designers are mixing up trendy monochromatic palettes with interesting textures to add contrast and dimension to a space. One of the hottest texture trends in the residential and commercial flooring market is the use of rich, dark wood grain; while sleek metallic finishes are very much on trend in both residential and commercial applications.

We are seeing lines blurring when it comes to residential and commercial usage of metallic textures, such as chrome, nickel, and stainless steel. Black stainless steel and champagne metallic finishes have transitioned from their initial use in residential kitchens and are now widely being used in commercial interiors to add subtle luster and sophistication.

On Trend For Commercial Restrooms

When considering design for public restrooms, architects and designers have many opportunities to incorporate color and texture in order to create a space that meets their aesthetic vision. In these spaces, they are also challenged to balance aesthetics with safety and durability, as well as the comfort and privacy of the user.
Scranton Products are innovators when it comes to commercial bathroom partition solutions. Our Eclipse Partitions® combine sleek and modern style with high privacy and high durability, offering rich color and texture options that are precisely on trend, such as textured nickel, bronze, black metallic and stainless steel.

Part of the beauty of these high-design partitions is that they are built using sustainable building materials, making them the right choice for your facility and the environment. The solid core design requires no painting, is very low maintenance, and the materials are non-porous, and resistant to bacteria, mold and mildew, making them the smart choice for busy public facilities and high traffic settings.

To view the range of color and texture options available in Eclipse Partitions®, please click on the link below.

Eclipse Colors and Textures

How Architecture & Sustainability are Working Towards a Greener Future

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Sustainability is one of the most important aspects to building managers, whether you’re about to break ground on a new facility, or you’re looking for ways to make your current facility more efficient. Green architecture has become increasingly popular since it helps reduce carbon emissions, as well as show a massive drop in energy consumption. The goal is to leave as little of a carbon footprint as possible, so finding ways to make your facility more sustainable is crucial.

The Importance of Sustainability & Green Architecture

Most buildings, skyscrapers, and high-risers you see that are made of glass and steel may appear alluring and awe-inspiring, but those buildings certainly use up a lot of energy, which maximizes their carbon emissions. Tall glass and steel structures require significant energy to keep the interior of the building at the optimal temperature, depending on the weather and season. According to The Economist, “In America, buildings account for 65% of electricity consumption, 36% of total energy use, and 30% of greenhouse-gas emissions.”

The ultimate goal with green architecture is to drastically reduce these numbers to a more manageable and sustainable level. By getting started now, we can work towards a greener future with less emissions and energy use collectively. Using these different materials is the first step towards a green and sustainable future.

Utilizing the Best Green Building Materials

The first step towards making a green facility is by utilizing sustainable materials. You’ll want to sort through materials that can help your building maintain its optimal temperature without having to kick the HVAC system into high gear. Certain woods and rock types make for ideal construction material due to their thermal mass. Utilizing recycled material can also have its benefits because it’s reducing waste while getting more use out of a previously discarded material.

How to Make Your Current Facility Greener

If your facility was already constructed before the idea of green architecture really caught on, don’t fret. There are still steps that can be taken to increase the sustainability of your facility. A major area that you can focus on is your facility’s restrooms. More importantly, replacing your standard partitions with a more sustainable material, like HDPE plastic.

These green building materials can help retain the heat in your restroom while combating the elements, such as humidity and moisture. They’re durable, scratch-resistant, and non-absorbent, so you won’t spend a lot of time and money on maintenance. They’re made from recycled material and they’re backed by a 25-year warranty, so you won’t have to shell out a small fortune to replace them.

Getting Started on Making Your Facility Sustainable

By using HDPE plastic in your facility, you can start small and work towards a greener future for your building. This plastic will outlast your current toilet partitions in your restroom, and they’ll incur less damage and won’t have any mold growth due to their strong and reliable structure. If your facility has lockers or storage compartments, you can replace the metal with HDPE plastic lockers, which will provide secure storage and durability while increasing your buildings sustainability.

Want to learn about how HDPE plastic and other materials can help make your facility more sustainable? Download this eBook, Sustainable Building Products: How to Make Your Facility Eco-Friendly from Top to Bottom, from your friends at Scranton Products.

Architecture Trends Influencing Sustainable Hospital Design

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Sustainable design and architecture has grown in popularity, not just as a stylistic approach, but architects and designers are thinking about the long term. Most new hospitals have taken to this approach and begun implementing sustainable design aspects and green materials that can help reduce emissions and energy use. If you’re the manager of a facility or hospital, you’re probably trying to think of ways to cut costs on your energy bill through long-lasting solutions.

Here are a few architecture trends that are influencing sustainable hospital designs that you may want to consider during your next remodel, or if you’re about to embark on a new facility.

Increasing Natural Light & Using Low Energy Bulbs

There are many benefits to natural light. It helps reduce the need for electrical illumination to lower energy costs. There are many effective ways this can be done, including skylights, larger windows and window walls, and glass doors. When the sun sets, that’s when you can utilize low-energy bulbs to provide light without burning up too much energy.

Get More Green

Indoor plants have many benefits. They can reduce carbon dioxide levels, keep the temperature down, boost humidity, and even help reduce pollutants in the air. Using more indoor plants can help improve moral, as well as help the building maintain a healthy environment. However, outdoor gardens and courtyards can also have positive benefits for hospitals, mainly with the patients.

When a patient can see or even walk through a gardened area, it can have positive effects on their health in terms of stress reduction. Having multiple “green areas” makes the hospital more visually appealing. Run-of-the-mill hospitals have a stuffy lack of imagination, and the environment in which a patient is trying to heal has a lot to do with it. Having a garden terrace for patients to relax, enjoy the sights, or spend time with their family has positive benefits on the building, and the patient themselves.

Using Recycled Materials

One of the easiest and most efficient moves towards sustainability is using recycled materials in any way you can. Not only does this help reduce waste, but it also helps conserve natural resources, and it can help reduce greenhouse gases.

There are also plenty of great materials that are recycled. HDPE (high-density polyethylene) is a solid-plastic that can be used for a variety of applications, like toilet partitions and durable lockers. This plastic not only provides a strong structure, but it’s also non-absorbent, impact-resistant, and long-lasting.

Moving Forward with Sustainable Hospital Design

Now that you’re aware of some of the newer trends that hospitals around the world are using to make their facility more sustainable, you have a few ideas to run with. Not only did you see that these design aspects have benefits of reducing your energy costs and the actual building emissions, but you also saw that it can have a positive effect on the patients and their health. With the right design implementations, hospitals and patients can benefit greatly. Are you looking for ways to make your facility or hospital more sustainable? Check out this free eBook, Sustainable Building Products: How to Make Your Facility Eco-Friendly from Top to Bottom, from your friends at Scranton Products.