Once you’ve decided to build, a master plan is far from obsolete. Instead, a dynamic, long-term plan bakes in off-ramps and pivot points—chances to alter the trajectory if finances are constrained, leadership changes or deadlines move.
Anticipate Change
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Increased Utilization
To make better use of real estate within the existing hospital, we performed an analysis that identified underutilized office space that could be repurposed for clinical functions.
Seismic Considerations
An innovative structural system with special expansion joints between buildings allows each to move independently—up to 42 inches—during a seismic event.
Patient Room
The new bed tower can flex in acuity to accommodate complex scenarios such as pandemics and mass casualty events, and features unique structural elements that help guard against earthquakes.
Bed Towers
Since the hospital’s existing facility could not be renovated to meet the updated seismic requirements for acute patient care, we recommended the decommissioned bed tower be repurposed for administrative and clinical-support functions that did not require the same stringent requirements.
Uncertainty is a given for healthcare systems, perhaps now more than ever. This makes future preparedness at any scale—whether it’s a flexible long-term plan, a more efficient use of current space, or even a new building—even more critical to healthcare providers’ operations and bottom line. By considering these steps, organizations can develop more intelligent plans that enable success in a wide range of scenarios.
Designing for Future Success
As healthcare designers, we’re stewards of our clients’ precious resources, which means it’s more important than ever to help them do more with less. Here, we outline ways to minimize costs without compromising patient or staff experience.
To consolidate services and ensure responsible stewardship, we worked with UC Davis on solutions for on-campus ambulatory care.
Design and delivery solutions can help mitigate financial risk when it comes to healthcare projects. Tune in as we discuss strategies to reduce costs in healthcare construction.
We discuss three ways technology impacts patients and staff, and what it means for the design of healthcare environments.
At Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, OR, construction of a new bed tower dedicated to labor and delivery went on hold. We utilized this pause to help the organization explore the space implication of service changes in order to better meet the changing needs of the market and its business case. Ultimately, this led to a pivot to cancer care while adding flexible shell space to benefit the entire campus.
Addressing a Building’s Midlife Crisis
The Patient Room Calculator factors in metrics such as room size, staffing ratios and demand to increase operational efficiency.
Case Study