Healing gardens have been sprouting up at healthcare facilities as designers and owners garner a better understanding of the connection between access to nature and healing. These places are designed for respite and offer areas to sit as well as artwork and sculptures to inspire serenity.
When Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital had the chance to relocate in Boston and build a facility that’s custom tailored to its needs and patient population, it took full advantage of the opportunity, adding new programs such as aquatic therapy, bringing tons of natural light into patient rooms and public areas, and even opening up the windows in the gymnasium to give patients some fresh air while doing exercises.
The momentum for bringing more transparency to materials selection got a boost this fall when the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its LEED v4 standard, which includes credits for building product reporting and disclosure.
In this series, Healthcare Design asks leading healthcare design professionals, firms, and owners to tell us what’s got their attention and share some ideas on the subject.
Ken Kramer is principal at Francis Cauffman (Philadelphia). Here, he shares his thoughts on project budgets and five steps to successfully managing budgetary discussions with clients and presenting creative solutions that maximize return on investment.
1. Find the real concern about spending
This year Healthcare Design introduced a new series called Take Five, inviting healthcare design professionals to tell us what was on their minds and why.
“Most studies indicate that employees spend 75-95 percent of their time doing things that increase costs and create no value for the customer,” says Amanda Mewborn, senior healthcare operational planner, Perkins+Will.
In this series, Healthcare Design magazine asks leading healthcare design professionals, firms, and owners to tell us what’s got their attention and share some ideas on the subject.
Here, Bob McCleskey, CEO, Sellen Construction (Seattle), talks about construction trends in healthcare, how innovative techniques can help keep costs down, and what to expect in the future.
1. Prefab is not a fad
There are countless factors to be considered in product selection to create warm, inviting, and comfortable healthcare spaces for patients and staff. Those concerns can range from ease of use to infection control to maintainability. But when designing for behavioral health settings, further consideration needs to be paid to durability and safety measures that aren’t required in most other healthcare settings.
Completion Date: April 2013
Owner: Partners HealthCare
Architecture and interior design: Perkins+Will
Total building area: 236,585 sq. ft., not including penthouse or parking garage
Cost/sq. ft.: $384
Construction: Walsh Brothers Inc
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital is in the business of improving the quality of life for patients with disabilities and their families, through its patient care, teaching, and research programs.
Rehabilitation hospitals have traditionally recognized the therapeutic benefits of nature in the healing process, with facilities located on hilltops or scenic areas that provide views and access to the outdoors.
When Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital built a replacement hospital along the Boston waterfront, the urban site was challenged for space but not for inspiration, thanks to vast views of the harbor, Boston Logan International Airport, and the Boston skyline.
Once a dot on the healthcare landscape, the medical home model is a growing trend in healthcare design. During the session "Transitioning to a Medical Home Model Through Building and Organizational Re-Design," at the Healthcare Design Conference in Orlando this week, attendees got the chance to look at some of the design challenges and solutions associated with this emerging format.
"It's the organizations that can see around the corner that will not only survive but thrive in the future," Kris Krail, senior associate, NBBJ, said during her opening.
