Cedars Hospice Center has applied to become a LEED-certified building. You might ask what exactly "Leed-certified" and "Green" means. Hopefully we can answer some of those questions here.

• Sustainable Sites: The site design of Cedars Hospice Center includes a number of sustainable strategies. A rain garden is utilized to capture and naturally filter storm water to reduce the amount of contaminants deposited into municipal water treatment. Asphalt shingles with a high reflectance rating and a white membrane roofing material were installed to reduce the "heat island effect". Bike racks and preferred parking for fuel efficient vehicles and carpools is provided to encourage alternative transportation methods in an attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by vehicles. LED site lights were designed to minimize light pollution on adjacent properties, and are energy efficient by using less than half the electricity than conventional parking lot lighting.
• Water Efficiency: Cedars Hospice reduces water consumption by 40 % through the use of waterless urinals, dual flush water closets, and water conserving lavatories and showers.
• Energy & Atmosphere: By optimizing the energy performance of the building's HVAC systems, Cedars is designed to utilize 61% less energy that traditional HVAC systems which attributes to a cost savings up to 51%.
• Materials & Resources: Cedars Hospice Center paid special attention to the materials selected for the project. Materials that were manufactured with recycled content, regionally manufactured and harvested, or are rapidly renewable were a priority to help reduce the depletion of natural resources and help reduce carbon emissions. A few examples of materials that were used are bamboo flooring, carpeting, porcelain tile, bio-based tile, gypsum wall board, concrete, and steel.
• Indoor Environmental Quality: The indoor environmental quality is preserved by utilizing paints, coatings, finishes, and furniture that emit little or no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which have been found to be a contributing factor of various ailments.
• Innovation in Design: Cedars has adopted a Green Cleaning Policy which helps keep harmful chemicals out of the building's indoor environment, the building's waste water, and away from the employees that are using the cleaning products on a daily basis helping preserve a clean and safe environment for patients, visitors, and employees.