Healthcare Design - August 2017 - 97

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Q&A

with John MacSween
director

the healthcare environment
as having a direct impact on
improved patient outcomes.

Parkin Architects Western Ltd.
What's one critical question
your team always asks clients
in initial project meetings?
Why?
When we begin working with
clinical users during the
design process, one of our
first questions is usually,
"Tell me what you do and
how you do it." While the
answer is important, the twofold effect of the question
is our real purpose. First, it
starts a conversation, opens
the door to communication
and initiates a working
relationship between the
designer and the client. This
relationship, built on mutual
respect and confidence in the
others' abilities and talents, is
essential to guide the design

Surrey Memorial Hospital. Photo: Robert Stefanowicz

development. The second
attribute of the question
is to establish a comfort
level so that the clinical
representatives become
accustomed to speaking to
the design group. The point of
this is that they are the best
source of information for the
design team. They know more
than we do about providing
healthcare so, as designers,
we need to listen to them to
learn how our buildings can
support their work, rather
than telling them what we
think they need. Listening to
clients is our most important
skill.

by advancing technology
and we designers have to
keep pace in order to deliver
the best design solutions to
support healthcare workers.

How will the design of
healthcare spaces change
to meet the demands of
today's consumers?
One of the most significant
What's one major design or
changes in the design
care delivery trend that's
of healthcare spaces in
shaping your work today? And recent years is the shift
how so?
from considering only staff
Information Management
comfort and convenience
and Technology (IM/IT) is a
to focusing on patient
major influence on healthcare convenience, comfort
design today. Incorporation
and satisfaction. The
of electronic technology in
development of patientnew diagnostic and treatment focused design solutions is
modalities places more and
now the norm. Convenience
more pressure on designers to and comfort of the patient
coordinate and incorporate an take precedence. Staff move
ever-increasing infrastructure to the patient, rather than
support system that goes
the patient moving to staff
with the new technology. This positions. The environment
places more pressure on us to is designed to present a
accommodate the expanding
comforting, nurturing,
infrastructure within ceiling
home-like environment
and service room spaces
for patients with the use
without having adverse
of pleasant colours and
impact on the critical spatial
patterns, material textures
relationships we develop to
and the use of natural
optimize clinical functionality. finishes like wood and
Medical procedures and
stone. Evidence-based
equipment are clearly driven
design principles point to

Tell us something surprising
about your company that
people may not know.
There are probably few
people who know how old
we are. Parkin began back
in the 1940's and grew to
be one of the largest and
most renowned Canadian
architectural firms of
its time. Today we are
recognized as a leading firm
specializing in healthcare,
justice and sports facilities.
However, the legend of
Parkin projects includes
many well-known buildings
across the country such
as the Toronto Dominion
Centre, the National Gallery
of Canada (in j.v. with Moshe
Safdie) and the iconic
Ottawa Train Station. Another
little known fact is that
some of the most notable
firms in the country have
their roots within Parkin.
The growth and realignment
of the firm throughout the
decades spawned offshoots
including Seawood Solutions
(now part of WSP) and
NORR Architect Engineers
Planners. As we continue to
grow Parkin looks forward
to continuing to contribute
to the development of our
unique Canadian culture.
www.parkin.ca
http://www.parkin.ca http://www.parkin.ca
Healthcare Design - August 2017

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