Contract - October 2011 - (Page 65)

Key Healthcare Design Highlights • Patient experience is enhanced through spa- and hotel-influenced materials and lounge furnishings, as well as well-appointed amenities. • Small groupings of lounge seating and tables, floor lamps, and other accessories create intimate areas within the expansive public areas. • Dedicated corridors for visitors and staff not only facilitate smoother operation, but also detract from a sterile hospital feel. • Infusion bays are positioned along a glazed corridor to offer natural light and views that are pleasant to take in compared to a hospital wall. • Shell floors and flexible layouts allow for department expansion in the future. • Wide corridors, entrances, ramps, and elevator cars make the center fully accessible. • A corridor links the center to the existing hospital, should an overnight stay be necessary. With the help of equipment coordinator Genesis Planning, the project team outfitted operating rooms with cutting-edge technology such as a touch-panel control system that routes endoscopy, ultrasound, and x-ray visuals onto a screen—from and to any OR. The integrated system can even pull up information that’s on the hospital network such as lab results. Flexibility for the future was important to the client, so the facility was designed to obtain a hospital license should Methodist decide to house inpatient services. The building includes shell floors to allow expansion of surgery, radiology, and other treatment zones. Knockout panels and optimized mechanical and technological systems all contribute to future plug-and-play functionality. And most department layouts allow adjustment of square footage. Deinstitutionalizing healthcare “No one wants to go to the hospital,” says Randy Kirk, MS, project specialist for The Methodist Hospital. “So let’s make it feel a little less clinical and more like a comfortable The infusion bays can be accessed separately by staff on one side (opposite, top) and by patients on the other side (top). On the patient-entry side, lounge furniture allows patients to socialize with fellow patients or to simply enjoy the views outside. Waiting lounges (left) offer a comfortable setting outside exam rooms. Wood veneer paneling lends warmth to public waiting areas (opposite, bottom), where seating is both visually appealing and easy to clean. www.contractdesign.com contract october 2011 65 http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - October 2011

Contract - October 2011
Contents
Editorial
Industry news
Product briefs: healthcare
Product focus: caregivers need care, too
Product focus: above + below
Product focus: glass for health
Advancements made in evidence-based healthcare design
The power of design
Less clinical, more hospitable
Beautifully lean
Raising the bar
New life
Urban sanctuary
The 2011 healthcare environment awards
Designers select: healthcare products
Ad index
Perspectives

Contract - October 2011