Making hospital rooms more serene, construction company Skanska is developing green rooms all over the country. Having built the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rated Gold hospital in Newberg, Oregon, the Swedish builder is taking that know-how to hospitals and improving patient care.

Energy and water efficient fixtures, renewable wood flooring, non-toxic room products like the ceiling and wall material, and a window allowing natural light and an outdoor view, make hospital rooms serene and green.

Research suggests that connecting with nature by living, or rather healing, in green facilities is lending a helping hand to patient recovery.

To answer why, let’s dissect the room. The materials used in the room can contribute to a healthy or unhealthy environment. For example, using a paint that is not low volatile organic compound (VOC) emitting in a hospital room can reduce air quality and for someone will a suppressed immune system, poor air quality will only make their body have to fight harder. On the other hand, adding a window that allows natural light, requires less electricity, and provides a view can be calming to one’s heart rate and to the hospital’s energy bill.

Skanska can take greening hospital rooms beyond energy and water efficiency to the next level by continuing to incorporate green materials like denim insulation, organic cotton bed linens, and incorporated recycled plastics into bed materials or room fixtures. Finding green substitutions for the chemicals and bio-hazardous materials used in hospital rooms for patient care will be challenging, but solving that challenge will result in ultimate green serenity.