The Dr. Lutfi Kirdar Kartal Training and Research Hospital is a multi-wing healthcare facility with 900 inpatient and 200 outpatient beds. The 13-floor public hospital is operated by the Turkish Ministry of Health with three wings: Clinics and Administration, Diagnostic and Treatment, and Inpatient Wards.

Located in the Kartal district of Istanbul, the hospital’s resource-efficient design allows it to save money on operational costs and funnel more funds into patient care. The hospital has energy-efficient air conditioning, preheated water using waste heat from generators and energy-saving lighting to conserve energy. Features such as low-flow faucets and water-efficient landscaping also reduce water usage. The hospital’s sustainable design saves over 2,000 tCO₂per year.

The hospital was developed by the Istanbul Project Coordination Unit (IPCU) Governorship of Istanbul, a unit of Istanbul’s government founded in 2006 to improve the city’s earthquake preparedness. Since Istanbul lies on a major fault zone, the unit mitigates seismic risk through retrofitting and constructing new public buildings that are built to withstand a potential earthquake. The Dr. Lufti Kirdar Kartal Training and Research Hospital is a product of the Turkish government’s belief that sustainable buildings should be built to withstand both earthquakes and climate change.

In addition to building a structurally sound and environmentally-friendly building, the hospital offers many recreational spaces designed to improve patient well-being. The hospital also contains study rooms, libraries and labs to foster continued training and research for young doctors. The hospital has received final EDGE certification from thinkstep-SGS by achieving 32% energy saving, 21%water saving and having 26% less embodied energy in materials.