In 2009, Central Animal Hospital designed a new, LEED certified facility to provide a clean, healthful and modern environment for its patients, clients and staff. TFS installed a photovoltaic system and a solar hot water system, which are just a couple of the green features that Central Animal Hospital incorporated into their new building. Some of the other sustainable features include: •Extensive daylighting after taking a mostly windowless building and bringing in natural light via a central light monitor, glass block and solatubes.
•Automatic light adjustment using electric lights, which automatically adjust to provide the needed foot-candles of lighting for that room, at that particular time of day.
•High levels of building ventilation from the placement of carbon dioxide and temperature sensors throughout the building, which adjust the ventilation to provide a healthful and comfortable environment.
•Energy recovery systems that recover energy, hot or cold, from exhausted air and return it to the fresh air that is being pumped into the building.
•Rainwater harvesting for plants using cisterns that store a small portion of the rainwater that runs off the roof.
•Use of sustainable building materials that were produced as locally as possible and from materials that can be easily re-grown or replaced.
•Low-toxin production to prevent fumes and toxins from being released into and lingering in the building and the environment, creating a much more healthful building for all.
Central Animal Hospital designed a green building simply because it was “the right thing to do.”