Architects and designers are immersed in a challenge to create healthier built environments that address the coronavirus pandemic concerns. This challenge is reshaping our design approach both immediately and long-term.
As we continue to help clients with their ability to prepare for or deal with patient care surges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to share the influences we expect will impact design trends in the future.
The appropriate mechanical design solution for normal hospital operating protocol will need to be balanced against the reality of a pandemic response that presents a different series of patient care requirements.
With the current social distancing and travel restrictions, it’s not possible or advisable for me to visit job sites. Fortunately, technology allows me to see the jobsites and check for any issues.
Architects' skillset will be our best asset in confronting what will be the most critical challenge to our profession: our changing climate.
Common spaces for visitors, family, and guests don’t demand the same attention as spaces that serve the hospital’s main purpose. However, hospitals also need to think about the impact design has on common spaces and, in turn, families and other visitors.
Architects are paying more attention to the detailing and materials in the building skin. Your architect needs to understand when NFPA 285 is applicable and exactly what NFPA 285 requires. The most important part of that understanding is the loophole that exists in NFPA 285.
In addition to creating aesthetically pleasing and playful environments, designers should look to inspire hope, creativity, and interaction for pediatric patients. To accomplish this, it will be necessary as these forthcoming generations grow to combine medical care with technology for patient engagement.
Leveraging new and current technology to improve our design methodology is at the core of what we strive for. One tool we use improves design team coordination and thereby our deliverable documents and building information modeling.
With the advent of franchises and a healthy dose of poor guidance, our towns started to slump toward a “no matter where we are, we are in the same place” aesthetic.
