The East and North Wing Addition project includes the design of an outdoor healing garden that will be directly accessible to patients, family and staff in the critical care area of the hospital. The garden is part of an extensive green roof area located over the Emergency Department entry suite. The intent of this innovation credit is to build on the intent of requirements for points EQ 8.1 and 8.2 by providing not only daylight and views but direct access to an outdoor green space designed and embedded as part of the hospital\'s building program. Concord Hospital is dedicated to providing the highest quality environment for building occupants, and considers the healing garden as a tangible example of the hospital\'s mission, which includes the mandate to provide leadership and innovation in the changing healthcare environment, as well as the directive to support and promote wellness. The hospital also believes that the facility should stimulate staff members, physicians, volunteers and others to high standards of performance and care; that health is the highest possible state of physical, spiritual, and psychological wellbeing of an individual. The design of a healing garden is one way toward achieving such a state of wellbeing. The primary intent of this strategy is to allow building occupants to walk directly into an outdoor contemplative garden area (which is coincidentally a green roof over another part of the project) in order to assist in processes leading to human wellbeing. This particular strategy does not seek LEED credit for energy or water savings through the use of the extensive green roof (which is already accounted for in credit SS 7.2), nor does this strategy apply other than indirectly to EQ 8.1 or 8.2, which are concerned only with the admission of daylight, access to outside views, and operable windows. INTENT Improve the health and well-being of staff, patients and family members in the critical care area of the hospital through the design and use of a direct-access outdoor contemplative garden. REQUIREMENTS Demonstrate the design and execution of a substantially sized garden area that is directly and immediately accessible to people within the critical care suites. Such a garden may be on any level of the facility, but must include substantial plantings, deck or walkways, and fully meet ADAAG accessibility guidelines. SUBMITTALS Provide letter template, signed by the Architect, that the project includes a healing garden. Attach drawings showing location within the hospital, accessibility diagram, list of plantings, design of decks or pathways through the garden, and any other features particular to the garden.