The HMC Architects-designed Kaiser Permanente Fresno Emergency Department Expansion has earned LEED Gold certification, exceeding the project’s original LEED Silver goal. Awarded 63 points under the LEED v4 for Building Design and Construction: Healthcare rating system, the achievement reflects a shared commitment among Kaiser Permanente and the design and construction team to advance environmental performance in healthcare.

Energy performance was a standout contributor. The project earned all 20 available points for optimizing energy performance, along with credits for renewable energy production and enhanced commissioning to verify that building systems perform as intended. Water conservation measures also contributed, with a calculated reduction in indoor water use of approximately 37 percent compared with the LEED baseline.

The project’s sustainability strategies extend to the spaces patients and staff use every day. Low-emitting materials, indoor air quality management in construction, lighting controls, and acoustic performance helped secure certification points. Additional credits recognized material transparency and construction waste management.

Reaching Gold required coordination across disciplines throughout the design and construction phases. The result reinforces HMC’s purpose to Design for Good through healthcare environments that support people while reducing demands on natural resources.