MCHC Builds New Sustainable Home Suffolk Construction CM – Designed by Steffian Bradley

Boston – Mattapan Community Health Center (MCHC)’s new building, scheduled for a July 2012 completion, is expanding one-stop health services to an underserved population in Mattapan Square. Designed by Steffian Bradley Architects, the 58,700sf four-story center will house clinical space, office space and two retail tenants on the ground floor.
The project includes the on-site demolition of four existing buildings, off-site construction including the relocation of a traffic mast arm and control box, removal of curb cuts, sidewalk reconstruction, a parking lot, loading dock, and landscaping. Construction began in January 2011 and is scheduled for completion in early summer 2012.
Suffolk is construction manager for the Mattapan Community Health Center project.
Recognizing that many patients’ medical conditions are a result of their urban environment, MCHC outlined a requirement of having a healthy building as a starting point for providing quality care. This meant designing a building that not only meets and exceeds all regulatory requirements, but incorporates the latest green technology and materials. The project is employing the LEED for New Construction (version 2.2) rating system to assess sustainability goals, and targeting a LEED Silver Certification. Overall strategies include site selection and utilization to minimize the impact on the natural environment, conservation and efficiency in water and energy use, recycled and regionally extracted and manufactured materials, indoor air quality that will enhance occupant wellbeing and health, and occupant control of the environment for maximum efficiency and comfort.
The new MCHC building features a glass-clad central core that extends from the front of the building to the back. Patients will enter the center through this core on the ground floor, which is flanked by two retail spaces. The central core continues up through all four stories of the building and creates a window between the health center and the community.
The core of windows also allows natural light into the building and enables views through the building to a landscaped garden at the back of the site. Sun control of this large glass façade is achieved through the use of an overhang at the ground floor, curtainwall fins, and a sunshade at the third floor. Inside the building, daylight sensors track light levels and dim fixtures in response – reducing energy use and cooling load.
The clinical areas of the health center are located on the upper two floors of the building, which are wrapped in a terracotta rain screen envelope with large punched windows. The windows allow large amounts of natural daylight into the building, providing a warm and healing environment. South and east facing rooms have daylight sensors to control the light fixtures.
The building culminates with a top floor, which is set back from the face of the lower floors, and features administrative and conference spaces. A continuous sun shading canopy protects the upper level from the extremes of the sun along the eastern and southern exposures. An outdoor garden on this floor further demonstrates the building’s commitment to sustainable design, and provides a respite area for MCHC staff.
The building utilizes additional green roofs and light colored roof membranes to lower the heat island effect, minimize water runoff from the site, insulate the building, and provide views of nature for the health center and surrounding residential neighborhood.
In landscaping the site, the team used native vegetation and no potable water systems. This not only reduces water use, but also mitigates storm water runoff.
Additional water conservation was achieved through the use of low flow fixtures and rainwater reuse.
When complete, the new building will not only help MCHC staff to better care for their patients, but also serve as a prominent example of a healthy and sustainable environment for the surrounding community.