Architecture

Healthcare Design’s monthly Online Focus feature compiles recent coverage on targeted topics to help readers quickly get up to speed on pressing issues or refresh themselves on latest trends. In March, we continue the series by digging into lighting.

The use of lighting in healthcare is complex. Solutions may vary depending on the setting and service provided—for example, an inpatient behavioral health unit will have different needs than a labor and delivery room.

When approaching lighting design, considerations range from providing access to natural light to delivering patient controls for artificial light. For interiors alone, fixtures, color, and lumens can each transform a space, while the use of LEDs is growing as a solution to reduce lighting costs in 24-hour facilities and deliver more design options.

Click on the links below to explore some of the lighting solutions introduced in various facility types as well as new technologies in play.

• Breath Of Fresh Air: Ng Teng Fong General Hospital And Jurong Community Hospital
  Touting natural ventilation, operable windows, and an energy use rate 69 percent lower than the average U.S. hospital, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital push the boundaries of sustainable design in healthcare.
• FIRST LOOK: University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute
  The project combines 12 specialty centers into one location, which specific lighting, color, and layout features designed to address the different needs of patients with neurological disorders.
• 3 Technology Features To Improve Behavioral Health Environments
  New materials, lighting, and safety features are making behavioral health facilities safer and better for healing.
• Hospital Design For Seniors
  The elderly represents the largest percentage of hospital inpatients and this number will continue to grow. Should the research and principles of design for senior facilities be applied universally to hospitals?
• Safe Haven: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  A new inpatient unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia offers a specialized environment for patients with both medical and behavioral health needs.
• Natural Remedy: Biophilic Design Supports Behavioral Health
  The use of biophilic design in behavioral healthcare settings can contribute to creating the calming environment patients require, as seen in the renovation of the Swedish Ballard Behavioral Health Unit in Seattle.
• Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark
  Evidence-based design has taught us a lot about the importance of lighting, particularly daylighting, in the healing process. Faster recovery times, less pain, and a general sense of well-being have been connected with patient access to daylight
• PHOTO TOUR: Western Digital DRIVE Wellness Center
  Dedicated to Western Digital employees, the DRIVE Wellness Center provides convenient, cost-effective access to healthcare services and promotes a healthy work-life balance.
• Shedding Light On Healthcare Lighting Design Strategies
  Measuring the success of a lighting program should go well beyond aesthetics and function and focus on how the occupants are experiencing the light.
• 6 Evidence-Based Design Strategies For Med/Surg Rooms
  Lighting is among six strategies that can help patients stay safe in acute care settings.
• Illuminating Ideas On LEDs In Healthcare
  LEDs aren’t always understood by those who specify it. Here are some tips to help.