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Hospital Construction Specifications

Hospitals are perhaps the most complex type of building used on a daily basis. According to the Whole Building Design Guide, a program of the National Institute of Building Sciences, every hospital boasts multiple services and practical sections. Units include diagnostic functions, including clinical laboratories and imaging. Treatment units, such as emergency and operating rooms, must also exist. Food service and housekeeping are hospital functions intermixed with patient care and recuperation facilities. This diversity is reflected in the scope of oversight that determines hospital construction specifications.

  1. Movement and Efficiency

    • According to the Whole Building Design Guide, or WBDG, despite size, shape and location, all hospitals should retain universal specifications for flexible movement and efficiency. Hospital hallways should be limited as much as possible to increase staff efficiency and provide quick access to commonly used areas. One way to do this is to construct premium practical adjacencies, such as positioning the post-operative intensive care unit adjacent to the surgical operating suite. Layouts should make visual supervision of patients easy and accessible. The first floor should be relegated to patient and guest admitting and outpatient needs.

    Therapeutic Environments

    • Hospitals must be made to feel safe and nonthreatening for incoming patients. Therapeutic environments are necessary to preserve this need, according to the WBDG. Hospital should specify admitting plenty of natural light wherever possible and using indoor color-corrected bulbs to approximate natural daylight as closely as possible. Hospital rooms should provide exterior views from all patient beds and wherever possible throughout the facility. Additionally, photographic or painted murals of natural scenes and peaceful ambiance are beneficial where outdoor views are not possible.

    Sustainable Design

    • Hospital construction designs try to incorporate sustainable design since the "green" trend has become increasingly popular. According to Newcomb-Boyd, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, states that hospitals must consider sustainable design specifications. These specifications are recommended to save energy by reducing waste. One recommended example is having hospital planners reconsider decorative water fountains. In addition to potential water waste, studies show that unhealthy pathogens can be found in these fountains.

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