Opened in July 2022, the nine-story Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Tower at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) is a state-of-the-art facility that serves Kamloops and surrounding communities.
Not only was the tower built with direct input from medical staff, health-care teams, local health-care workers and Indigenous partners, it was also designed and built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards.
Sustainable features designed into plans
LEED is a third-party certification program and an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. The tower is the latest IH building to be recognized with a LEED Gold certification thanks in part to these energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable features:
- Electric vehicle (EV) parking and charging
- Dedicated bicycle storage facilities to promote alternate methods of transportation
- Energy-efficient heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting systems
- Energy-efficient construction, including exterior walls and roofs
- Low water use fixtures and irrigation
- Water-efficient landscaping
- Environmentally friendly construction products, materials and practices
- Enhanced commissioning and verification processes as part of the construction process
LEED practices help lower carbon emissions, reduce operating costs
Michael Morton, director, Major Capital Projects Delivery, oversaw the LEED certification process. “Achieving LEED certification starts right with the design and goes all the way through to construction and beyond,” says Michael. “Ten years ago, what used to earn you a point toward certification is now part of common building practices. So now we need to apply other construction strategies to earn points.”
According to the Canada Green Building Council, following LEED practices help lower carbon emissions, conserve resources, and reduce operating costs by prioritizing sustainable practices.
“With these sustainable building approaches, our patients, health-care workers and staff, as well as the wider Kamloops community, benefit from lower greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water savings, and better indoor air quality,” says Lorne Sisley, executive director, Corporate Services. “Building to LEED standards also supports our key goal of reducing the environmental impact of our operations, as outlined in our Climate Change and Sustainability Roadmap.”
IH facilities built for climate resilience
All new Interior Health (IH) builds and major renovations are designed and constructed to achieve LEED Gold or similar building standards in line with the BC Government’s commitment to low-carbon, climate-resilient and sustainable health-care facilities.
When rebuilding, replacing or retrofitting our buildings, IH proactively plans to minimize climate risk, and assesses opportunities to not only upgrade our systems, but to design future facilities to minimize our greenhouse gas emissions and our energy use.
Other LEED certified IH buildings include:
- Royal Inland Hospital – Clinical Services Building
- Penticton Regional Hospital – David E. Kampe Tower
- Interior Heart and Surgical Centre
- Kelowna General Hospital – Dr. Walter Anderson Building
- Kelowna General Hospital – Centennial Building
- Vernon Jubilee Hospital – Polson Tower
- Hillside Centre – Adult Psychiatric Centre
Learn more about IH’s commitment to sustainability and climate readiness
Our Commitment to Sustainability
Climate Change and Sustainability Roadmap 2023–2028
Community Climate Resiliency Planning
Get more stories like this
Sign up to receive the Stories@IH email digest twice a week to your inbox.
Sahra joined IH just two months after graduating from Okanagan College, and has served in many roles with IH that led her to where she is today.
/stories/we-are-ih-recruitment-advisor-finds-purpose-growing-careers
Interior Health has non-judgmental drug checking services throughout the Interior region. Samples as small as a grain of rice can be tested.
/stories/stop-guessing-drug-checking-saves-lives
Lillooet Hospital holds a special place in Jessica McLellan's heart. A 3rd-generation resident of Lillooet, she has served as LDHF's chair since 2018.
/stories/foundation-spotlight-series-lillooet-district-hospital-foundation
Righting wrongs gives Sharon a sense of purpose at work. There is no typical day in labour relations which makes the job exciting and a great fit for her.
/stories/we-are-ih-labour-relations-specialist-strengthens-relationships
Many of us embrace our 50s and 60s as an opportunity for adventure. Even if you’re feeling healthy now, it’s a good idea to plan your future health decisions.
/stories/six-ways-plan-age-related-health-decisions
Like many expectant moms, Emily Canzian attended prenatal classes and did a lot of preparing for her son Luca’s birth.
/stories/new-moms-journey-through-first-days-breastfeeding
STAY CONNECTED
Receive news, alerts, public service announcements and articles right to your inbox.
