Recently, there has been a fundamental desire to adopt a whole-life attitude regarding the design... more Recently, there has been a fundamental desire to adopt a whole-life attitude regarding the design and management of buildings because of the dramatic shift in the balance between the initial capital cost and the running costs of buildings towards a substantial increase in the running costs. Perhaps one of the challenging obstacles facing this desire is the fact that the design or component selection decisions can often be taken based on factors other than cost criteria. This is especially true in the complex environment of healthcare buildings, in which, for example, the desire to reduce variation for economic reasons has to be balanced against a wide variety of specialist uses and a large number of user groups with widely differing needs. This paper is the first in a series reporting on ongoing research within an NHS-Estates funded project. This project aims to develop an Integrated System for the Optimal Selection of Hospital Finishes. Essential requirements for optimal hospital design are discussed in detail with emphasis on their implication on the selection of finishes. This includes a wide range of design requirements that have a fundamental influence on the value and quality of life in hospital environments. Other issues covered include planning, user, space, finish and other crucial requirements. The paper concludes by introducing directions for further future research within the project.
Recently, there has been a fundamental desire to adopt a whole-life attitude regarding the design... more Recently, there has been a fundamental desire to adopt a whole-life attitude regarding the design and management of buildings because of the dramatic shift in the balance between the initial capital cost and the running costs of buildings towards a substantial increase in the running costs. Perhaps one of the challenging obstacles facing this desire is the fact that the design or component selection decisions can often be taken based on factors other than cost criteria. This is especially true in the complex environment of healthcare buildings, in which, for example, the desire to reduce variation for economic reasons has to be balanced against a wide variety of specialist uses and a large number of user groups with widely differing needs. This paper is the first in a series reporting on ongoing research within an NHS-Estates funded project. This project aims to develop an Integrated System for the Optimal Selection of Hospital Finishes. Essential requirements for optimal hospital design are discussed in detail with emphasis on their implication on the selection of finishes. This includes a wide range of design requirements that have a fundamental influence on the value and quality of life in hospital environments. Other issues covered include planning, user, space, finish and other crucial requirements. The paper concludes by introducing directions for further future research within the project.
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