Healthcare Design - May 2015 - 90

Collaborative spaces
In order for translational facilities to be truly effective,
they must be designed to support multidisciplinary
teamwork and collaboration between the researchers
and medical staff in the bench-to-bedside model.
To create these gathering nodes, designers can
set up corridors, entry lobbies, and meeting areas
to support casual points of interaction between the
researchers and medical caregivers to better promote
dialogue and the exchange of ideas. For example,
seating areas, writable walls, and coffee stations can
help enhance these encounters. For more formalized
gathering areas, heads-down rooms are important for
processing data, in addition to larger meeting spaces
where teams can translate that data to healthcare
platforms.
In addition, Vascellaro recommends designing these
spaces with light and color to encourage creativity.
Snyder also prioritizes daylighting: "Not only does
daylighting have an effect on energy reduction and
occupant comfort and health, but it also drives recruit-

4 MODULE

1 MODULE

9A MODULE

ing. The best and brightest talent wants to work and
research in spaces that are great spaces to be in."
However, due to the large footprint required by
these facilities, it can be a challenge to optimize daylighting within a limited perimeter zone. This is where
transparent building materials come into play, serving
the dual purpose of bringing natural light deeper into
the core and promoting a team-based working environment. For example, says Snyder, "By developing
lab technician work bays directly adjacent to labs, visually attached and conveniently located yet physically
separated, we enhance the interactivity between data
gathering and data recording."

Barbara Horwitz-Bennett is a contributing editor for
Healthcare Design. She can be reached at bbennett@
bezeqint.net.

HCDmagazine.com 05.15

Based on a planning grid of 11 feet by 11 feet, this laboratory module, provided by
Michael P. Vascellaro, vice president and health and science practice lead at RS&H, can
easily be adapted to support more complex laboratory models with various orientations.
At the same time, it ensures that structural column positioning does not conflict with
laboratory casework placement. As shown here, the original module is adapted to
create four-module and nine-module designs.

RS&H INC.

Team response
Industry experts anticipate that the translational approach to combining medical research and healthcare
will continue to gain traction. "Translational research
facilities are playing a big role in helping healthcare
organizations and academic medical centers innovate
and bring new products to market," Snyder says.
And because these unique facilities are a combination of two very different building types, the design
itself calls for a collaborative environment.
"There can be quite a design specialization gap
between those who design hospitals and those
who design research facilities," DiGennaro says. "I'd
suggest that both of these highly specialized design
experiences are required on a design team to create
these new translational research buildings." HCD

http://www.HCDmagazine.com

Healthcare Design - May 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Design - May 2015