Monroe Clinic's Roof Gardens Are Taking Root

The design teams from Monroe Clinic and Kahler-Slater have taken great care to create warm, comfortable lighting levels appropriate to the various public and private areas of the building, notes Kate Egan, a design researcher for Kahler-Slater.

“Patients will have more control of their room lighting from their beds,” she says. “There will be spotlights, full-on task lighting for nurses and softer lighting for the family seating area. The light is a warmer color and indirect, more like a home.”

The Northwest Addition will be lit with energy-efficient fixtures that use 30% less electricity. In addition, some areas of the facility will use occupancy sensors rather than light switches. These choices will save more than $35,000 per year in utility costs, according to Borowski. In addition, the windows are made of Low-E glass, which reduces summer heat absorption and winter heat loss. This will make the zone near windows comfortable and lower energy costs.