FEATURE
Summertown Interiors has recently completed the new Mediclinic Dialysis Department at Airport Road Hospital in Abu Dhabi
Bish further adds: “Due to market volatility and changing demographics, flexibility and adaptability are very important design principles for healthcare providers and hospitals. Space flexibility allows hospitals to have the ability to react to a wider range of cases and changes in demand without the need for extensive disruptive renovations.”
Needs of the future We find that the Middle East region could be a land of opportunities. These countries have invested in the past to create the most advanced healthcare cities in the world. AGi Architects are part of some exciting healthcare projects in the region such as , Hisham A. Alsager Cardiac Center, Ali Mohammed T Al-Ghanim Clinic., and Shaikha Jassim Al Marzouq Kidney Transplant Center. Goicoechea and Abulhasan highlight their concerns: “The big issue is to determine what will be next decades’ necessities, and a good global strategy that focus on people, both workers and patients. What´s the demographic expectation for the region on the next 30 years? What are the needs of their communities? We are moving to a new way of understanding health, healthcare facilities will no longer be the last minute emergency resource. Healthcare Centres must be leading the community members through a healthy life, with good practices workshops and big data analysis implementation, so costs of healthcare system will be lower than today’s standards.” Sustainability is what clients are demanding these days and in coming days, it will be a given
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February 2019
Marcos Bish, Summertown Interiors
Space flexibility allows hospitals to have the ability to react to a wider range of cases and changes in demand without the need for extensive disruptive renovations. – Marcos Bish
norm. “Sustainability is increasingly important and more and more our clients are demanding we design buildings that are sustainable. We are designing with the health of building occupants in mind with a focus on the indoor
environment, building materials selected for organic properties and air and waste handling systems that reduce toxicity. Sustainability is an emphasis in the region and healthcare is conforming to these trends and expectations,” says Arnold. Fitness wearables are common accessories that are being utilised for continuous monitoring of a person’s heartrate, body temperature, breathing, atrial fibrillation and is expanding to assist the people with impairment. “Access to real time data for clinicians is within the reach and will allow for great preventative health measures in the future. The healthcare environments are evolving to be totally integrated with the smart technology,” adds Bridgefoot.
Hospitals integrated into living communities The segregation of the hospitals within our communities is changing with master planning and strategic planning focusing on creating town centres integrating healthcare environments, wellness centres, aged care and residential accommodation, commercial and retail facilities with community and educational facilities. Activities including private and public healthcare facilities are being cluster together to form health knowledge precincts, living life better hubs and green living centres that allow clients to have communities that are connected and allow for improved life-styles. The simple colocation of public and private hospitals has been common planning strategy for decades, however their integration into community centres is being developed as a potential approach to normalising healthcare and linking lifestyles and healthcare. Research across the globe is highlighting the benefits of continued exercise and wellness as an integrated approach to healthcare delivery.
www.design-middleeast.com