In recent years, healthcare architecture has been evolving to meet the changing needs of patients and caregivers. The design of healthcare buildings can have a significant impact on the quality of care that patients receive. Here are four factors that The Neenan Company considers when designing healthcare architecture projects.
When designing a healthcare facility, the most important variable to take into consideration with the design and construction is people — patients as well as their families and friends. There needs to be ample space in the rooms to accommodate family members when visiting and the various common areas are clearly marked for ease of navigating the building. There should also be a good mix of single-bed and multi-bed rooms to facilitate the many areas of medical care. Regardless of the type of healthcare architecture planned, our architects place a project’s patient-centeredness front and center in our design and construction process.
Another aspect of design in a healthcare building is safety. Having surfaces that are easy to decontaminate and readily-available washing stations with hand rubs and alcohol are must-haves. In order to prevent the spread of germs, sickness, and infectious diseases, filtration and ventilation systems should be a top priority. The strategic placement of assistive and protective devices, such as defibrillators and fire extinguishers, is paramount in effective healthcare design and construction. The safety of the occupants in the building cannot be overlooked.
Healthcare design and construction should consider the efficiency of the space in mind. Room layouts should be designed with a clear distinction between where the supplies and medical equipment is kept, while also enabling doctors and nurses to do their jobs easily. Efficiency also means a reduced potential for safety threats, enhanced patient satisfaction, and minimized patient transfer time. Designing a building with noise mitigation in mind helps reduce the stress a patient may feel while sitting in a recovery room.
Standardization of room layouts in healthcare design and construction promotes rapid response time to patients by the medical staff. Patient satisfaction has the potential to remain high by limiting wait times and departmental transfers through efficient building design. Taking social design into account during the planning and construction of healthcare architecture also helps with determining which facilities need more or fewer amenities and features. For example, in the United States, hospitals with more operating rooms and fewer labor rooms tend to facilitate unnecessary cesarean deliveries. Therefore, adding more labor rooms could prevent thousands of surgical complications each year.
The Neenan Company has been taking a unique approach to healthcare design and construction — called archistruction — for over 20 years. We understand that many projects begin as vague ideas, and through our Collaborative Design Process, we include you and our entire team through every step of the project’s journey. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our innovative approach to healthcare design and construction.
