Architecture

Photo credit: Moody Nolan

In an era of dynamic healthcare landscapes, architects are at the forefront of crafting facilities that not only meet current needs but also anticipate and adapt to future shifts.

From navigating changing regulations to preparing for demographic transformations, a patient-centered design approach  is essential.

With approximately 82 percent of Americans prioritizing wellness in their daily routines, according to 2024 “Future of Wellness” report by McKinsey & Company, it is evident that a heightened emphasis on preventative care and overall well-being is underway.

Consequently, there is a growing imperative for architects to design facilities with a holistic approach that fosters community engagement and inclusivity, ensuring that healthcare environments are not only functional but also supportive of comprehensive health.

Responding to changing patient demographics

Demographic shifts, such as an aging population and changing healthcare needs, pose unique challenges to designing healthcare facilities. Taking a more proactive approach entails creating spaces that cater to diverse patient populations and varying levels of care––bringing a community together under one roof.

For example, incorporating universal design principles can help ensure accessibility for individuals with disabilities or limited mobility. Additionally, designing facilities with a focus on patient-centered care promotes a welcoming environment conducive to healing and well-being, regardless of age or background.

A need to address language barriers is also a prevalent challenge in healthcare. A 2023 article, “Addressing Language Barriers in Healthcare,” published in Nurse Journal states that more than 65 percent of patients who do not speak the local language of their area experience barriers to healthcare, including 20 percent who do not seek healthcare services because of miscommunication.

Environmental graphics and wayfinding tools can help break these language   by ensuring essential information is communicated effectively. Moody Nolan’s Experiential Design studio, which creates holistic environments to promote inclusive and equitable spaces, has developed visual cues, including universal healthcare symbols, bilingual signage, and wayfinding, for projects to help make navigation easier regardless of a person’s language proficiency.

Adaptability for evolving healthcare models

A growing emphasis on preventive care, outpatient services, and community-based initiatives is helping evolve traditional models of delivering healthcare.

Proactive design recognizes the need for flexible spaces that can accommodate these shifts in the industry, including the incorporation of modular design elements that allow for easy reconfiguration of spaces based on shifting demands.

For example, designing dual-purpose spaces that can serve as outpatient support spaces during the day and educational spaces for community health programs in the evening enhances a facility’s adaptability to changing healthcare delivery paradigms. For the Friend Health medical office building in Chicago, Moody Nolan designated a significant portion of the first floor as a community space to host speakers, community groups, and meetings as well as separate classroom areas for in-depth group learning––establishing a variety of accessible amenities for the community.

Adaptability extends beyond the realm of healthcare alone, encompassing evolving needs in society. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a design shift toward eliminating waiting rooms to control infection spread. However, it became apparent that this approach may not always be feasible, particularly for patients who arrive without transportation and cannot wait in their car.

Thus, the need to provide spaces that accommodate social distancing while offering sufficient indoor seating remains paramount in the planning of well-functioning waiting areas. Other top-of-mind design considerations include providing a pediatric zone where children can be active while waiting for their appointment and making sure there are plentiful outlets for a large group of people to charge devices.

Project teams should also be mindful of how one building can have a broader community impact beyond its four walls. For example, designing healthcare facilities that can serve as a cooling center in the summer months or as a temporary shelter during emergency events such as power outages is an important consideration for vulnerable communities. Incorporating room partitions that could be mounted and moved to meet a targeted need can help facilities accommodate these shifts over time.

Integrating technology in care settings

When it comes to preventative and holistic care in the modern era, there’s a growing emphasis on technology integration in patient-centric environments. This can come into play in unexpected ways, such digital navigation tools that provide patients with information to help guide them to and from their next appointment through an almost GPS-like presentation.

In communities with an older population, however, digital literacy is not always a given. Having a patient   who can connect patients to transportation, coordinate appointments, and engage with pharmacies for medication pickup helps bridge the gap between healthcare and technology, making it easier for subsets of a community who may need extra help.

Additionally, the future of healthcare involves incorporating more preventative healthcare in spaces outside traditional medical office buildings or clinics. As technology continues to advance, it’s anticipated that some care will move into the home, which is concerning for those communities that may not have equal access to digital resources.

Project teams can address this by providing more telehealth spaces in clinics where a doctor can meet patients remotely and designing infrastructure with layouts that allow for seamless integration of new equipment as it becomes available.

Collaboration between communities and architects

Effective healthcare design requires careful collaboration among architects and the communities that their work serves and involving stakeholders throughout the process of bringing a project to life.

Community listening sessions before the commencement of design and programming of a building can help architects gain valuable insight into the specific needs and priorities of a facility’s patient population.

Taking these steps can help healthcare organizations remain agile and responsive in the face of evolving healthcare landscapes. By addressing language barriers, embracing shifting demographics and promoting equitable access to care, facilities can create environments that prioritize patient-centered care and ensure that all individuals receive the quality healthcare they deserve.

Roderic Walton, FAIA, NOMA, NCARB, is a principal at Moody Nolan (Chicago) and can be reached at [email protected].