MedPark Hospital’s Unique Air Ventilation System Minimizes PM 2.5 Exposure.
Positive Pressure Building Safeguard Indoor Air Quality
At the main entrance to MedPark Hospital, visitors will notice a large digital screen showcasing the real-time difference between outdoor air quality and the significantly cleaner air quality you'll experience inside MedPark. To understand how crucial indoor air quality is, let's dive in and explore.
Urbanites spend significantly larger portions of their lives indoors. At MedPark, our commitment to your well-being extends to every breath of air you breathe inside the hospital. This is because we understand the negative health consequences of air pollution, particularly the impacts of inhaling PM 2.5 and the risk of airborne infection in the hospital setting; hence, the hospital's design incorporates a one-of-a-kind ventilation system to solve intractable poor indoor air quality of modern buildings and to make the hospital air quality the best-in-class. The strategically installed outside air units (OAUs) perform triple actions of dehumidifying, cooling, and purifying outside air through high-efficiency filters, meeting ASHRAE standards, before insufflating the air into the building. The volume and rate of air supplied by the OAUs create and maintain positive pressure in the building with no recirculation to provide a higher ventilation rate and fresher indoor air. This proactive approach minimizes the risk of infection and fosters well-being for everyone within the hospital walls. Patients, families, and staff at MedPark Hospital benefit from consistently cleaner air indoors compared to the environment outside.
Chronic coughs, eye irritation, and heightened lung cancer risk: Threats of PM2.5 mandate prioritization of cleaner indoor air quality.
PM 2.5 refers to air pollution particles with diameters equal to or less than 2.5 microns. Its minute size makes PM 2.5 especially hazardous as it can penetrate through lung epithelium, enter the bloodstream, disseminate throughout the body, and increase the risk for chronic inflammation.
Prolonged PM 2.5 exposure can lead to cough, nasal congestion, eye irritation, etc. PM 2.5 is also one of the crucial risk factors for several serious conditions, including pneumonitis, lung cancer, and respiratory tract infections. Most importantly, PM 2.5 is not only limited to the outdoor environment but can also enter indoor spaces unless the building has an air purifier system and a positive pressure design from the beginning.
Positive pressure building, high-efficiency filters air-purifier system
The key feature of a positive pressure building includes reducing the risk of environmental pathogens and fine dust contaminating indoor air, achieved by maintaining higher pressure relative to the outside environment, allowing for the one-way flow of indoor air out while blocking the entry of pathogens, fine dust, and other air pollutants. These help to lower the risk of pollution and infection.
The air seeping out of the building is replenished continuously by fresh, purified air generated by the OAUs. The high-efficiency filters in the OAUs effectively filter out over 90% of PM 2.5 and nearly all fine dust particles and bacteria. The humidity and temperature reductions of the supplied air prevent condensation of water vapors and mildew overgrowth in the hospital.
MedPark Hospital's unique ventilation system with a positive pressure feature helps create a healthier indoor environment like no other. These are especially beneficial for allergic rhinitis patients and reduce the risk of airborne infections among hospital patients.
Green building with LEED Gold certification, a safe and environmentally friendly building.
Besides clean, healthy indoor air quality, MedPark Hospital prioritizes safety and environmentally friendly buildings by achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The hospital building is oriented east-west to reduce solar heat gain and constructed using a quadruple-pane laminated glass façade with air-interspace for low solar heat gain and an anti-glare glazed pane, leading to cooler temperature inside the building and less load on the air conditioning system. The anti-reflective glass facade ensures comfort to occupants of surrounding buildings.
Flooring materials are from carbon-neutral and eco-friendly sources, emitting zero net carbon footprint or other greenhouse gases. Plus, interior decoration materials do not release volatile organic compounds, ensuring healthy indoor air quality.
MedPark Hospital adheres to sustainable, environment-conscious design, prioritizing energy conservation, minimal climate change impacts, and promoting indoor air quality, all aimed at safeguarding the health and well-being of everyone.