It’s a given that the world will not standstill. As the saying goes, “time waits for no one”. Technology developments in almost all areas of life are progressing with what may seem like alarming alacrity but what may be, in fact, the normal pace of things. Healthcare design and innovation is no exception.
I must admit that a giddy grin came over my face recently upon opening a package containing the updated version of one of my personal favorite books on the design of healthcare environments—Hospital and Healthcare Facility Design, Third Edition, by Richard L. Miller, FAIA; Earl S. Swensson, FAIA; and J. Todd Robinson, AIA, EDAC.
I’m sitting on my boat, albeit tied safely in the slip, thinking how to convert my new purchase of a 12-year-old Trawler powerboat into a modern cruising yacht that will safely carry me up and down the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway for years to come.
Seems the answer can be garnered from today’s healthcare construction basics. Make certain the structure, exterior, and mechanical/electrical systems are in good working condition and load it up with the newest technology.
On the surface, it would seem that keeping built healthcare facilities as environmentally friendly and healthy as possible would be a no-brainer; after all, if the first rule of medicine is to first, do no harm, the building itself should be free from harmful materials, and as “green” and sustainable as possible. Doesn’t it make sense that a building you visit to get healthy would itself be healthy?
Technology is a pervasive thread that runs through many of the innovative projects discussed this week here at TEDMED 2012 in Washington, D.C. Much as architects now use building information modeling (BIM) to envision how buildings and spaces will work, scientists and educators are using virtualization technologies to solve 3-D conceptual problems.
Among these is a project that takes the power of play to a whole new level.
Recently, HEALTHCARE DESIGN hosted a webinar event (IIDA Education Day) produced by our partner organizations, International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and The Center for Health Design. One of the webinars titled “Flooring for Healthcare: An Evidence-Based Design Approach” and p
We've recently been having a great discussion over on our LinkedIn network, The HEALTHCARE DESIGN Connection (not a member?
The annual Environments for Aging (EFA) Conference, cosponsored by the publishers of Long-Term Living (LTL), Environments for Aging, and HEALTHCARE DESIGN (HCD), in conjunction with the
TEDMED 2012 is a very different sort of event from the typical industry conference. No hour-long presentations by someone who has solved a particularly tricky clinical or business case or shares a rich depth of knowledge, this event is a compilation of brilliant intellect, inquiring minds, accomplished people in diverse disciplines, and well-staged performance art. It’s fast-paced and planned to move attendees beyond their comfort zones.
April 8-14 marks the American Institute of Architects' National Architecture Week 2012, and the theme this year is "Design Connects," meant to highlight both the power of design and the positive role that architects play in our communities.
Many of us may not realize this until we think about it, but furniture, like heating and lighting, is essential to the delivery of quality healthcare services. And, like utilities, it’s a major portion of the healthcare facility budget.
Furniture will be bought and replaced multiple times during the 30+year lifetime of most healthcare facilities.
As building information modeling continues to gain traction as a project design tool—particularly in the healthcare sector where even greater efficiencies can be captured due to the complex nature of hospitals—one Midwest institution is now applying BIM in a most innovative way.
