A cancer center designed for healing patients and the planet
Princeton Medical Center’s new cancer center will combine the power of advanced medicine with the healing powers of nature.
James Demetriades looks out his office window at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center and watches as a mixture of concrete and terracotta is poured, preparing the foundation for steel beams—the building blocks for the newest cancer center in central New Jersey. The campus also overlooks the Millstone River, a consistent reminder of the responsibility bestowed on the health system to be a good steward of its environment.
For Demetriades, Penn Medicine Princeton Health’s CEO, environmental sustainability is at the heart of the new 200,000-square-foot cancer center. An estimated 40 percent or more of people in the community may one day have a cancer diagnosis. This new project aims to take their healing to a new level, with cancer care that minimizes the effect on the planet—making the surrounding community a safer and healthier place to live.
The vision for the new cancer center, which is set to open May 2028, is reminiscent of the medical center, which was founded over 100 years ago and moved to its current modern building in Plainsboro in 2012—designed for healing the patient’s mind, body, and soul. This also affords more access to people living in the Princeton community to leading edge cancer care that will blend Penn Medicine’s breakthroughs with human-centered care close to home.
“There is something called tyranny of distance. When you are being treated for cancer, patients can find greater comfort and convenience closer to home,” Demetriades said. “The goal is to bring what is offered at the Abramson Cancer Center closer to our New Jersey home.” At the new cancer center, natural light will fill private rooms, intriguing art will capture the attention of patients going through treatment, and a calming ambiance will make the building feel more like a wellness retreat than a hospital.
The project is using LEED certification—the standard for environmentally sustainable building practices and a framework designed to promote buildings that are more efficient, healthier, and safer. The new Princeton Cancer Center is targeting a LEED Gold certification, a prestigious commitment which will bring significant environmental and health benefits for its occupants, including lower carbon emissions.
That work is important because the health care industry in the United States generates about 8.5 percent of all carbon emissions. Penn Medicine has committed that all new construction will be LEED Silver or above to reduce operational carbon emissions by 50 percent across all campuses by 2030, with net-zero operational carbon emissions targeted by 2042.
Energy efficiency can be beautiful
On the exterior of the cancer center, green roofs, otherwise known as “living roofs,” will reduce the overall temperature across the building. Living vegetation soaks up heat, creating a cooling effect, compared to concrete which absorbs sunlight and releases more heat into the environment—this is called the heat island effect.
Rain gardens will be incorporated to absorb rainwater, so there is less water runoff into local streams and waterways. Triple-glazed glass will also regulate the building’s temperature, while being safe for the bird population. All these initiatives increase energy efficiency and cost-savings when heating and cooling the building.
The building itself is being constructed with a terracotta mixture, which needs less energy to “fire” compared to traditional concrete and is equal to it, if not better, as an insulator. The other energy-saving piece that the team is installing is a large array of solar panels over the employee parking lot, which will provide clean energy for the cancer center and parts of the main hospital.
Overall, renewable energy will supply 50 percent of the building’s annual energy demand.
“We set a core set of principles for ourselves before starting this cancer center project,” said Demetriades. “LEED Gold certification has been our guiding framework, because it creates a healthier building for patients and staff, and integrates well into our other sustainability efforts here at Princeton Medical Center.”
The Princeton Cancer Center continues Penn Medicine’s history of environmental stewardship in construction projects. The Clifton Center for Medical Breakthroughs on the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) campus became the largest LEED Healthcare Gold certified building when it opened in 2021, followed by Penn Medicine Radnor, another LEED Gold certified facility, which opened in 2022. Penn Medicine Montgomeryville, currently under construction, is also targeting LEED Gold certification.
Setting a sustainability example
Princeton Medical Center isn’t resting on its laurels—being a leader in sustainability means opening itself up for other outside review and counsel. Penn Medicine is a part of Practice Greenhealth, a national, application-only sustainable healthcare association which provides recommendations for 1,700 organizations across the county.
In February 2026, the Joint Commission awarded Penn Medicine its Sustainable Healthcare Certification based on its review of a detailed report for the whole system, and individually for HUP, Lancaster General Health, and Princeton Medical Center as examples.
Now, as part of the Princeton Health construction plans, Public Service Enterprise Group Inc (PSEG), recently identified opportunities to reduce energy consumption on the Princeton Medical Center and Princeton House Behavioral Health Hospital campuses. Recommendations included all-LED lighting; exhaust fans in the kitchen that shut off automatically instead of constantly humming; and motion sensors for lights in patient rooms, closets, and bathrooms.
Greg Evans, director of sustainability at Penn Medicine, said they are also exploring what is called “OR setbacks,” which would slow the rate of air circulation and lower the temperature in operating rooms when they are not in use. The Clifton Center at HUP is also incorporating this change for more energy savings, with other locations soon to follow.
Typically, the air exchange in these rooms is continuous. “It’s like an airplane constantly changing the air in the cabin,” Evans said.
The idea is that the air flow and temperature ramp down after surgeries are done for the day and ramp back up before surgeries resume the next morning.
Princeton Medical Center has also been collecting food waste and converting it into electricity. Waste from patient trays, from the cafeteria, or a catering event, is taken to a facility in Trenton where bacteria break down the organic material, which produces biogas, and can be used to generate electricity.
“In about 9 or 10 months, we will divert about 30 tons of waste,” said Evans. This practice will continue with the new cancer center.
Healing both patients and the environment
The Princeton Cancer Center is the largest expansion of Princeton Health since the new hospital opened in 2012, and the second largest Penn Medicine investment since the unveiling of the Clifton Center for Medical Breakthroughs in 2021.
“For the future Princeton Cancer Center patient or visitor, they most likely won’t notice the healthier environment and sustainable building practices just by walking in,” Evans said. “But once they start taking in the space, observe the greenery and gardens, and bask in the natural light, they will feel the difference.”