Great Glazing: Shore Memorial Surgical Pavilion

Photos by Tom Crane Photography Inc.

"The new surgical pavilion emphasizes healing and daylight in a compassionate setting," says Wausau's healthcare market manager, Lisa May, a LEED Green Associate. "In addition to saving energy and costs by reducing electric lighting, natural light benefits patients and staff. The USGBC reports that patients in settings with natural light and views of nature recover faster, use less pain medication and have shorter stays. Studies also have shown that a naturally illuminated workplace contributes to improved staff health and morale."

The basics: Light and technology are the focal points of the newly opened 138,000-square-foot Shore Medical Center Surgical Pavilion, located in the seaside community of Somers Point, N.J. The building's boardroom offers expansive views of the surrounding bay and shore, and visitors to the pavilion are welcomed into a first-floor open lobby framed with floor-to-ceiling windows, according to a Wausau Window and Wall Systems release. The center's nine surgical suites also include something rarely seen in operating rooms: daylight. Each suite has at least one window that opens to a sterile equipment hallway, which has a larger glass window overlooking the bay, according to the release. The healthcare facility was designed to meet certification for the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Desgin program, and to meet hurricane impact requirements.

The players: Architect, Ballinger; general contractor, Massett Building Co.; glazing contractor, Guthrie Glass & Mirror; curtain wall system manufacturer, Wausau Window and Wall Systems; curtain wall systems finisher, Linetec.

The glass and systems: 25,000-square-feet of impact-rated Wausau SuperWall Series that has undergone large missile tests for windborne-debris-impact resistance performance and adheres to ASTM E 1886 and ASTM E 1996 for missile level D, Exposure C, wind zone 2. The system's aluminum framing contains high recycled content in varying unit depths of 6.25 inches, 8.25 inces and 10.25 inches, painted in a durable, three-coat, 70 percent polyvinylidene fluoride. The strip windows and curtain wall systems' aluminum framing was finished by Linetec in Slate Gray, and punched windows were painted Bone White. Deep covers were provided for the punched windows and strip windows.