Sustainability has long been a priority in healthcare construction, but resiliency has become equally essential as climate risks intensify, energy costs rise, and operational demands grow more complex. Today’s healthcare facilities must go beyond meeting green building standards. They need to maintain operations during emergencies, adapt to shifting conditions, and support human health every day.
Sustainable healthcare facilities must balance infection control and durability requirements with goals for carbon reduction, energy efficiency, and occupant wellness. This broader push for transparency and carbon reduction mirrors the goals of the AIA 2030 Commitment, which urges architects to reduce both operational and embodied carbon through performance modeling and responsible material selection across all project types, including healthcare.
As sustainability goals evolve, healthcare organisations are increasingly moving beyond basic energy efficiency to target net-zero emissions and long-term carbon reductions. For design and construction teams, this shift presents both opportunities and challenges in how systems are specified, delivered, and supported across a facility’s lifecycle.
Cost remains a significant barrier to achieving full net-zero outcomes in healthcare settings. As a result, many projects are being designed as “net-zero ready,” enabling future electrification, renewable energy integration, and phased performance upgrades. These strategies allow owners to align long-term sustainability targets with current capital budgets.
Fully electric systems may not be appropriate in colder regions with high heating demands or limited access to clean electricity. In such cases, hybrid systems combining electric and natural gas technologies can offer a more feasible short-term pathway.
Evaluating the carbon intensity of the local utility grid is a critical step in low-carbon design planning. A low-energy-use hospital powered by a fossil fuel–heavy grid may still carry a higher operational carbon footprint than one connected to cleaner sources.
HVAC system selection, integration, and control strategies can significantly affect both energy costs and building resilience over time. Advocating for the use of enthalpy wheels and heat recovery chillers in design can lead to significant improvements in energy performance. These systems reclaim waste heat and enhance air handling performance, particularly in buildings with high ventilation demands. By reducing dependence on new energy inputs, they also contribute to broader carbon reduction goals.
The Cedars-Sinai’s Los Feliz Urgent Care Clinic, Los Angeles has non-structural matte black corrugated metal panels that wrap around the clinic’s second floor exterior and serve as a rainscreen, helping to protect the building’s stucco finish and passively regulate temperatures. The VA Puget Sound Mental Health & Research Building, Seattle has three green roofs that are not only visually pleasing to patients but aid in reducing the amount and flow-rate of stormwater runoff, and help absorb heat and carbon dioxide. They also serve to collect and store rainwater that is then reused for flushing the building’s systems.
To discuss healthcare facility construction and the key issues facing the industry, connect with solution providers and network with delegates, attend the Healthcare Facility Design and Build Summit taking place on November 4-5, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
For more information, visit our website or email us at info@innovatrix.eu for the event agenda. Visit our LinkedIn to stay up to date on our latest speaker announcements and event news.
