According to Vision 3 Architects, one of Rhode Island's leading sustainable architectural design firms, Providence Community Health Centers, Prairie Avenue Health Center has been awarded LEED Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
The health center consists of a two-story addition to two existing historic buildings that were once part of the Federated Lithographers Company. The existing buildings had been empty for years, the site was a Brownfield, and the neighborhood was desperate for change. Providence Community Health Centers and Vision 3 Architects are creating that change by designing a sustainable campus dedicated to improving the health of the community. The health center has now been recognized as LEED Silver Certified.
Many of the sustainable features of the project came from the site itself. The design of the storm water system captures and treats 100% of the storm water on site. The reuse of the existing building shell limited the amount of demolition waste brought to landfills. Many of the building's original window openings that had been blocked over for many years have been reopened to flood the health center with natural daylight minimizing light fixture use.