Location: Olathe, Kansas
Year Completed: 2011
Size: 50,258 SF

The Olathe Health Education Building is a LEED gold building that is the result of a strategic alliance between Johnson County Community College and Olathe Health. Located on the Olathe Medical Center campus, this new 50,258 SF facility allows the college to house its health occupation programs and provide direct access to a regional hospital. Additionally, it also provides Olathe Medical Center with an educational facility for their staff. Educational programs include practical nursing, health occupations, medical technology programs (radiology, surgery, pharmacy, etc.), health information, dietary, and community outreach classes in association with the Olathe School District.

The Olathe Health Education Center has 21 classrooms. The practical nursing program has 29-beds for simulation, including a 16-bed skills laboratory. The programs offered in this facility are: practical nursing, certified nurse assistant, certified medication aide, rehabilitation aide, home health aide, IV therapy for LPN, dietary manager, medical office, medical billing and coding, medical transcription, phlebotomy, EKG technician, and medical laboratory technician.

The long and narrow site with sewer access at the high-end posed many unique challenges. An integrated solution was developed that addressed the programmatic needs of the building and pedestrian access of the users. The site’s drainage was a challenge on this project as well. A solution was to strategically integrate the site drainage through pre-treatment filtration beds to an environmental retention basin. Special attention was focused on the readily available credits unique to this property and those with the highest return on investment. This practical approach is utilized on all HMN projects to maximize sustainability at a minimal cost.

Some of these design features include:

• A ground score heat pump system with 48, 400-foot wells with an ROI of five to six years
• Storm water is drained to an adjacent wet bottom detention pond
• The location is adjacent to housing, roads, shopping and community services with pedestrian access
• Parking areas have large islands to break up the “heat island” effect
• Curbs were omitted allowing water to sheet off to prevent erosion from concentrated runoff
• A reduction in parking spaces encourages public transportation and special parking for fuel efficient vehicles
• A shower and changing room is provided for bicyclists
• Light sensors, which can be activated by individuals or sunlight levels
• Horizontal mullion extensions on the south shade the glass from heat, while providing sunlight
• A white roof reflects solar radiation off the building
• Native grasses and low maintenance plants ensure minimum water is used
• The usage of FSC certified wood, recycled materials and low VOC products promote sustainability and enhanced indoor environmental quality