New Ronald McDonald House to be LEED Certified

By Brian Cahill, Director of Operations, Barnhart, Inc., a Heery International Company

The new Ronald McDonald House, located adjacent to Rady Children’s Hospital, creatively solves the problem of scarce and expensive land in San Diego’s hospital district. Set to open to the community on Saturday, April 4, the 65,000-square-foot House and exterior courtyards are constructed on top of an existing six-story parking structure and feature 47 bedrooms for families with seriously ill children receiving treatment at area hospitals.

The new accommodations will be a major improvement over the existing House, which has only 12 rooms. Because of that, the organization is forced to turn away 100 families a month who need a place to stay while their children receive treatment.

Ronald McDonald House executives decided to build the new House using strict green building standards. All parties associated with the project saw the opportunity to further help the community by making the building LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified. They assembled a team including architect Joseph Wong Design Associates, project manager 4G Development and Consulting Inc. and construction manager Barnhart, Inc. to make it happen.

Chuck McArthur, Barnhart’s LEED AP-certified senior project manager, and Becca Stucky, a LEED Accredited Professional with Drew George & Partners, worked out a multi-step certification process to ensure the project achieves the score required to be LEED certified.

Energy Conservation

Many of the dollar savings from LEED-based construction are achieved by making the building as energy-efficient as possible. Using a combination of high efficiency mechanical systems and envelope and lighting design, the project uses 17.5 percent less energy than a typical building in California.

The house is designed for a 109kW photovoltaic array to produce solar energy and includes a highly reflective roof to reduce heat build-up from the sun’s rays.

Water Savings

Two exterior courtyards are central to the building– one a contemplative healing garden, and the other a sport court and play yard. To conserve drinking water, drip irrigation and programmable watering systems are used in the courtyards to save water. Inside the building, water-efficient plumbing fixtures are used. Together, the landscape design and high-efficiency plumbing fixtures will save over 150,000 gallons of water a year.

Materials and Resources

During the project, the team considered the environmental impact of material selection and disposal. Materials used to create the building contain significant amounts of recycled content. During construction, Barnhart was careful to recycle over 50% of the construction waste, and after construction, the completed building will provide recycling collection stations for house guests and employees.

Indoor Environmental Quality

A chemical-free environment is essential for the children whose treatments often cause compromised immune systems. We achieved this by carefully monitoring the VOC levels of all adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings used inside the building. During construction, Barnhart carefully monitored the site, ensuring mechanical systems were protected from dust and dirt, floors were kept clean, and materials were stored safely away from any possible contaminants or water damage.

Funding Still Needed

San Diego County McDonald’s Owner/Operator Association is funding $2 million of Ronald McDonald House project. The remaining amount is being raised through the individuals, corporations and foundations. Barnhart managed the project at cost, and several members of the construction team donated labor.

Since opening its doors in 1980, San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House has provided more than 120,000 nights of lodging for more than 12,000 families whose children face life-threatening illnesses and are receiving treatment at area hospitals. With nearly four times the capacity of the existing House, the new facility will dramatically increase the ability of the organization to serve families’ needs, and do so in a manner that minimizes its impact on the environment.