Architectural design of a new medical building

Architectural design for Split hospital new emergency medicine department

Architectural design

Concept

The design process is based on 3 main issues:

·         The programme: which calls for 3 main Patient Zones and associated treatment facilities ( i.e. operating and diagnostics).

·         The location: – which creates parameters for access, footprint and massing

·         Health care: as a place which is designed to reduce stress, and maximize efficiency in the 3 level for treatment from critical emergency to walk-in patient care.

The Programme

The main functions of the SHK have been assembled both according to the brief and proximity of each function for both the patient ease of access and staff efficiency.

We have main a principle decision to locate patient arrival by ambulance and walk-in so as to reduce congestion for intensive care and stress for the patients.

The 3 main patient care-areas are located on the ground level, together with Resuscitation zone (adjacent to ambulance arrivals), Diagnostics and the Paediatric Centre.

The operating theatre block is located on Level 1 above the intensive care and resuscitation area with the main staff area above on level 2.

This block box will have the most intensive mechanical and electrical dependency and therefore it is considered effective to “stack” these as shown in the design.

Location

The location and its parcel provides specific constraints for the foot print which we respond to positively using the north side for the main access of walk-in patients and the paediatric centre and the south and east for the ambulance emergency entrances respectively.

The main traffic routes have already been defined by the existing street layout and traffic system and we have taken advantage of the inclined topography to place the entrance to sub-level (level -2). This entrance provides a wide access for ambulances and staff and service vehicles.

Health Care Environment

·         As described in the programme section, the main driver of the internal environment is by the proximity of certain facilities and their functional relationship with each other.

·         The planning is essential based on logic of A: entrance being visible and immediate – thereafter the health care is either immediate in terms of moving from waiting Area – to triage – to treatment and diagnostics.

·         The places of treatment are based on logic-of-use and therefore reduce confusion, panic for the patient and enhances functionality for the staff.

·         Each component of the facility is treated as a zone for purposes of installations and equipment. Each treatment zone (zone 1, 3 and 7) have their own observation (nurse) stations, supply and material storage (for 24 -48 function) and treatment areas. Each cubicle is supplied with all medial gas plug-in supply, ventilation (cooling and heat) and power ( 230v and 12v)

·         As mentioned earlier, the walk-in and ambulance entrances are separate and allow for a different “pace” of treatment assuming most patients arriving by ambulance are in a state requiring emergency and intensive treatment and if necessary immediate operation.

Installations and Energy Concept

·         Our energy source is based on a climatic adaptive zero carbon solution that saves on energy costs and less running costs with renewable energy technologies.

·         Ground source energy will be the main source for the cooling and heating needs. The cooling load being the largest factor. A small number of deep circular wells of some 2 meters + diameter will be driven into the ground strata on the southern side of the building and used as thermal stores to suit the buildings calculated needs.

·         The wells are then connected to heat pumps situated in the plant area in two sections: minus level 2 and roof then via pumped pipe services connected to the modular air handling units situated on the roof plant space above level 2 and attached to the sub-level plenum..

·         Our system distribution of ventilated conditioned air pipe-work services to the modular units serving the proscribed zones with their specific requirements of ensuring on the ventilation side that the zones are further divided to ensure both modular functioning to give total flexibility of operational non-cross over space conditioning requirements and fast-track maintenance and repair compared to the disruption caused when more centralized systems break down.

·         This modular zoning flexible ability for rapid change occurs to all of the building services systems that will ensure 90 percent operational management in case of any failure in plant operation. In addition coloured notification symbols will be cleared assigned and placed on all essential access points for the undertaking of the daily exceptionally high standards of cleaning tasks necessary in a modern state of the art hospital environment.

·         An important element of our design to ensure comfort conditioning with the maximum saving of energy and to create a healthy environment will be to introduce what is termed as fresh air either from a high level to take advantage of micro-wind patterns whereby any particles of pollution from the surrounding urban environment are at a minimum, or at ground level on the south side of the building where special shrubs and other greenery is used as form of filter for dirt and dust polluting particles as the architectural design dictates.  A system known as a thermal-labyrinth will be used.

CONCEPTS

Architectural design

• SERVICES RENDERED

  Design

• PROJECT SIZE

  6.400m²

• PROJECT VALUE

  40.000.000 HRK

• PROJECT PERIOD

  2015 – 2016

• INVESTOR

  KBC Split