A range of studies support the idea that
green hospitals are good for the environment
and good for patients. A study at the
Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre in
Canada, for instance, found that depressed
patients in sunny rooms recovered 15 per
cent faster than those in darker rooms.
Another study at Bronson Methodist Hospital
in Michigan linked green design principles
such as improved ventilation, natural light
and a connection to nature with an 11 per
cent reduction in secondary infections and a
decrease in nursing turnover rates.