On a human level, defining sustainable buildings is fairly simple - it means balancing the economic, social and environmental factors to maximise the benefits the building can bring to the local community and economy whilst minimising the impact of the building’s construction and operation on the environment.

In other words, sustainable buildings are:

“Buildings that are safe, healthy and productive for their users and owners, make a positive contribution to their local surroundings, and have a minimal impact on the local and global environment both today and for generations to come”.
For healthcare buildings, we can break this down into a series of ten key principles covering both the performance of the buildings themselves and how they interact with their local surroundings:

1.Integrating with local neighbourhoods & promoting regeneration
2.Meeting the needs of & providing extra facilities for local communities
3.Providing accessible transport options for all members of the community
4.Delivering cleaner, greener and safer public spaces that are rich in biodiversity
5.Using resources (e.g. energy & water) efficiently
6.Providing flexibility and adaptability to meet changing service needs
7.Considering whole life performance, including long-term asset value
8.Providing a quality internal environment to support health and well-being for users
9.Using materials that reduce environmental and health impacts
10.Reducing pollution and waste to avoid health and other impacts