Course Description
There is a renewed emphasis in healthcare design that seeks “the patients’ point of view, considering not only their physical, but also their social and psychological needs; this has prompted interventions aimed at enhancing the physical, sensory, and psychological comfort, improving wayfinding systems, and increasing the clarity of the meanings communicated by space design.”1 Yet a holistic approach to healthcare design is not an invention of the twenty-first century. In 1839, the Lexicon Medicum mentioned the “healing powers of nature,” arguing that many illnesses could be cured without the help of medicines, simply by focusing on air, sustenance, comfort, physical movement, and positive feelings.2
What is new today is cutting-edge research’s confirmation of holistic, whole-person design strategies. Design derived from data is also known as Evidence-Based Design (EBD). EBD is the process of basing decisions about the built environment on credible research to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Learning objectives:
- Employ evidence-based design to inform a whole-person approach to healthcare design.
- Apply programs that help guide and improve wellness, healthy material selection, and indoor environmental quality in healthcare facilities, such as LEED, WELL, and the Living Building Challenge.
- Defend the holistic benefits of biophilic design, the integration of nature, and visual art applications in healthcare and create strategies for their implementation.
- Examine new material offerings, such as ceiling tiles, architectural products, elevated decks, gypsum panels, and plumbing technology, and analyze the potential improvements to health and safety.
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