Healthcare Trends

Paving the Future of

Healthcare Design + Construction

COVID-19 has accelerated our need to consider how healthcare facilities in the future are designed, built and arranged. The pandemic exposed several areas where healthcare facilities can operate more efficiently when faced with a wide-scale health crisis. Healthcare customers are rethinking their needs when building a new facility for the next generation of care. With over 100 years of experience building hospitals and health-related facilities, Skanska has unique insights into the upcoming trends in healthcare that are here to stay.

Climate change and operational efficiency initiatives

Resiliency planning is key for the future, and healthcare customers must consider spaces that meet both climate change initiatives and emergency preparedness needs.

University of Virginia Health System, University Hospital Expansion

The hospital expansion project at University of Virginia Health System features solar panels, green roofs and a net-zero potable water building offset. As part of the client’s long-term emergency preparedness strategy, our team outfitted the air handling units (AHUs) with UV-c light infection control technology. Not only does this reduce the hospital’s overall carbon footprint by cutting HVAC energy usage by up to 25 percent, but some research suggests that UV-c light disinfectants may be highly effective at destroying airborne viruses and bacteria that can circulate through an HVAC system.

Trend #4

Impacts will be felt to air handling unit air cleaning technologies and HVAC filtration systems, like bi-polar ionization and ultraviolet light (UV-c).

University of Virginia Health System, University Hospital Expansion

Subject matter expert recommendations

Incorporate trade partners, such as mechanical contractors and HVAC suppliers, into the process early for accurate and collaborative planning.

Run a life-cycle analysis of different HVAC technologies in collaboration with your designer and preconstruction team.

Determine the schedule and cost considerations of differing air cleaning technologies and keep in mind that due to limited availability, prices may increase.

Charlottesville, Virginia

Mark Ferguson

Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) Project Manager 8 years with Skanska

Hospitals want to create spaces that meet both sustainability and emergency preparedness goals—but creating entire negative pressure floors can greatly impact energy consumption.

Many healthcare facilities are going carbon-neutral to meet 2030 climate initiatives.

Virginia Mason Medical Center, Jones Pavilion and JP9 and 18

Project Executive 18 years with Skanska

Pete Maslenikov

Work closely with the client and design team to ensure any future proofing is designed in alignment with the facility’s master plan and confirm this corresponds with the long-term vision prior to starting design of new spaces.

Engage key trade partners early. They are typically the first to be exposed to emerging technology and can provide valuable input during constructability reviews.

Build in tolerances for any proactive work to accommodate design changes or new technologies.

Subject matter expert recommendations

When Skanska was awarded the original Virginia Mason Medical Center Jones Pavilion project in 2008, several of the floors were kept as shell space and our team installed plumbing with stub ups and floor slab depressions for prefabricated bathroom pods to expedite future build outs. In 2014, we completed the build out of the new ICU and oncology suites on two of the shelled floors. Due to our planning ahead, we saved two months on the schedule and minimized impacts to the active hospital.

Virginia Mason Medical Center, Jones Pavilion and JP9 and 18

Seattle, Washington

Planning for prefabrication for future expansions is key.

Technology that supports infection control, like temperature scanners, will become common.

Touchless facilities, like sink and door sensors, and online check-in options, are becoming more prominent in healthcare facilities.

Adopting forward-thinking strategies enable advancements in care without significantly modifying existing environments. Building a space knowing that varying technology might require different infrastructure or capacity will keep facilities adaptable.

Future enabling for the built environment

Trend #2

Learn more about healthcare construction and design at Skanska

Saint Francis Hospital, Perioperative Renovation and Addition

Executive Vice President/General Manager 18 years with Skanska

Ryan Aalsma

Ensure that your MEP subcontractor has experience installing prefabricated OR ceilings or has secured support from a prefabricated OR ceiling vendor.

Identify how many connections are required for different prefabricated OR ceiling options, which affect cost and installation time.

Understand your local certification process for prefabricated OR ceilings and work through the required items in advance with the certifier.

Subject matter expert recommendations

Our team installed the In-Dapt OR Ceiling System, and mfPHD Fortress stainless steel doors and walls to allow Saint Francis Health System to accommodate changes in future equipment and/or room arrangement. New prefabricated ceilings and modular wall systems prevent renovation costs and downtime while delivering future-proof functionality.

Saint Francis Hospital, Perioperative Renovation and Addition

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Outpatient spaces to support inpatient needs in times of crisis.

Easily-convertible private to semi-private patient rooms.

Modular solutions like prefabricated operating room ceiling systems and pandemic units.

Acuity-adaptable patient rooms.

Scalability in patient room design is important for long-term resiliency planning. While building flexible spaces may have higher upfront costs, it can lead to greater bed utilization and better return on investment.

Flexible spaces

Trend #1

Westchester Medical Center Health, Ambulatory Care Pavilion

Account Manager 13 years with Skanska

Theo Diamantis

Prioritize the patient experience. Installing high-end inviting lobbies and common areas that include a feature staircase, gift shop and café can make all the difference.

Pre-plan accommodations for both the community and hospital campus in the design phase, including travel paths and access points, for large equipment.

Engage the local community by hosting outreach events that allow local minority, women-owned and disadvantaged business enterprise (M/W/DBE) subcontractors to meet prime contractors.

Subject matter expert recommendations

Our team constructed the new Ambulatory Care Pavilion at Westchester Medical Center, which established outpatient services that were previously unavailable on the campus. The local community now has access to an Advanced Imaging Center, Heart and Vascular Institute and Ambulatory Surgery Center.

Westchester Medical Center Health, Ambulatory Care Pavilion

Valhalla, New York

Amplified by the pandemic, more patients are seeking care outside of cities and traditional hospital settings.

Consumer need is driving healthcare convenience.

High growth areas include orthopedics, oncology, spine and cardiology.

More specialty practices are moving to the outpatient setting.

Moving specialty practices such as cardiovascular, oncology and pediatric centers closer to residential areas will encourage routine visits so people can stay on top of their health.

Specialty centers in communities

Trend #3

Trend construction examples:

Connect with us

Visit our healthcare page

Send us an email

Visit our healthcare page