The Center for Health & Healing, Oregon Health & Science University’s landmark 16-story clinical and research building at the base of the Portland Aerial Tram, has won The Outstanding Building of the Year Award (TOBY) from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International.
The Center for Health & Healing, in Portland’s South Waterfront neighborhood, won the award in the medical office building category. It is the first Oregon property to earn this honor. The building is managed by CB Richard Ellis Inc. and is owned by RIMCO, LLC. The award was presented at the association’s international conference held June 27-29 in Long Beach, Calif. This year, a record 94 buildings from around the world competed.
“While OHSU is best known for its healing, teaching and discovery missions, it is gratifying to be recognized for our efforts to build facilities that are functional for patients and staff while setting high standards for environmental responsibility,” said Oregon Health & Science University President Joe Robertson, M.D., M.B.A.
“The BOMA International TOBY Award,” said Dyann Hamilton, Alliance Director for CB Richard Ellis, “is such a prestigious honor and recognition for our client, OHSU, whose mission of healing, teaching and discovery aligns with creating a comfortable environment through sustainable design and high facility standards and operational focus. The Center for Health & Healing is an exemplary representation of this vision and CBRE is honored to partner with OHSU for delivery of this facility to the community.”
The BOMA International TOBY Award recognizes excellence in office building management and operations. Judging is based on community impact, tenant- and employee-relations programs, energy management, accessibility for disabled people, emergency evacuation procedures, building personnel training programs and overall quality. As part of the award process, a team of industry professionals conducts a comprehensive inspection.
Judges cited, among other things, the depth of the management and community programs at the Center for Health & Healing, along with its open design and energy efficiency.
“The building appears to be the hub for events and community involvement,” one judge commented, adding that it is noteworthy that the facility serves as a model for future construction projects hoping to meet Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) requirements. In 2007, the Center for Health & Healing became the first medical and research facility in the nation to receive LEED platinum certification, the highest designation awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council, which oversees the LEED rating system.
In 2008, the building qualified for an Energy Star, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s symbol of superior energy performance. The Energy Star certifies that the building uses at least 35 percent less energy and generates a third less greenhouse gas emissions than the average building of its type in the country. A year earlier, the building was named one of two recipients of the City of Portland's Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Award in Green Building, rising from a pool of eight candidates in the category.
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About OHSU
Oregon Health & Science University is the state’s only health and research university, and Oregon’s only academic health center. OHSU is Portland's largest employer and the fourth largest in Oregon (excluding government). OHSU's size contributes to its ability to provide many services and community support activities not found anywhere else in the state. It serves patients from every corner of the state, and is a conduit for learning for more than 3,400 students and trainees. OHSU is the source of more than 200 community outreach programs that bring health and education services to every county in the state.
About CB Richard Ellis
CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm (in terms of 2009 revenue). The Company has approximately 29,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 300 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CB Richard Ellis offers strategic advice and execution for property sales and leasing; corporate services; property, facilities and project management; mortgage banking; appraisal and valuation; development services; investment management; and research and consulting. CB Richard Ellis has been named a BusinessWeek 50 “best in class” company for three years in a row. Please visit our Web site at www.cbre.com.
About BOMA International
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is an international federation of more than 100 local associations and affiliated organizations. Founded in 1907, its 17,000-plus members own or manage more than nine billion square feet of commercial properties. BOMA International’s mission is to enhance the human, intellectual and physical assets of the commercial real estate industry through advocacy, education, research, standards and information.