Healthcare Design - December 2013 - 9

TAKE 5:

Top 5 takeaways of 2013

Suzanne Drake, interior designer, Perkins+Will
(San Francisco), says it's a conversation that's
"in progress." "The design community wants the
HPDs, and we want to make it as easy for the
manufacturers as possible to provide that information for the purposes of making an informed
decision," she says.
On the other hand, the subject of materials and
transparency is not without some complexity. For
one, manufacturers are cautious about releasing
proprietary information, including product content. There's also the task of trying to track down
all the materials that go into a single product, with
parts and pieces that often come from multiple
manufacturers from around the globe.
Another issue, Drake says, is the question
of hazard versus risk: "It takes some thinking
about whether it's really a risk or not? How is
the product used? Is it inert when it's installed?
Does it affect workers or users? Is it continuously
offgassing?"
But with more knowledge, change will follow,
Hansen says, pointing to LEED's recycled content
credit and how that information wasn't generally
shared with designers until the credit was offered.
Now, she says, the industry is moving beyond
a single attribute and looking for a broader
understanding of what materials are made of.
"There are so many issues when it comes to
the content," she says. "We'll keep pushing it
forward."-AD

BY THE NUMBERS

10%

The amount of outpatient primary care
visits retail clinics are projected to
account for by 2015
Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality
Research Initiative, November 2013

1. Is Lean a method or a religion?
"We can learn a lot from tools like operations research, management by objectives, Six Sigma, and Lean. My concern is when a
concept turns into a dogmatic religion. Early design is a reflective
process, not a manufacturing production line problem. How we
adapt these management tools to the creative process will be a
major challenge/opportunity for healthcare architects."-Frank Zilm,
University of Kansas School of Architecture, Design & Planning
2. Collaborating across markets: "What took us so long?"
"A number of medical districts are positioning themselves for the
future by combining their resources. These medical districts can
accommodate research centers, wellness facilities, parks, roads,
and even adjacent neighborhoods. This collaboration is done in an
effort to weave healthcare into the fabric of the community and put
an emphasis on wellness to keep patients as healthy as possible."
-Gary Vance, BSA LifeStructures
3. Accountability for safety
"Patient safety and health outcomes are becoming increasingly important to clients, and any positive contribution is not just welcomed
but required as healthcare enters a new era. The bottom line is designs need to be better, stronger, and produced quicker for a good
price; value is important in both first costs and lifecycle costs."
-Joe Sprague, HKS Inc.
4. Quick in, quick out
"Patients are becoming more educated consumers with easy access to information. The millennial generation has been exposed
to technology its entire life and doesn't expect or need human
interaction at every turn. Home check-in, self-rooming, online medical records, and communication between physician and patients via
email or telepresence are just a start."-AECOM's Sheila Cahnman,
Christy Devens, and Mark Reckin
5. Making green dollars and sense
"With the U.S. Green Building Council's approval of LEED v4, environmental sustainability continues to become more mainstream.
Integrating, rather than distinguishing, sustainable strategies and
techniques as part of the customary design process makes them
less likely to be omitted from a project. Green becomes less specifically environmental and more inclusively dollars and sense."
-Walter Jones, Parkland Hospital

▼

The industry is moving beyond a single
attribute and looking for a broader
understanding of what materials are
made of.

This year Healthcare Design introduced a new series called Take Five,
inviting healthcare design professionals to tell us what was on their
minds and why.
We heard from contributors on a range of topics, from technology
and Lean to healthcare reform and millennials. So before we bid this
year adieu, let's take a look at some of the hottest issues 2013 brought
to the table.

Interested in sharing your own Take 5 in 2014? Contact senior
editor Anne DiNardo at adinardo@vendomegrp.com.

HCDmagazine.com 12.13

http://www.HCDmagazine.com

Healthcare Design - December 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Design - December 2013