Insights & Solutions

Learn about: common age-related changes in physical abilities, frequently occurring age-related sensory changes, and supportive adjustments to the physical environment that compensate for functional loss.

The goal for this project was to have the interdisciplinary design team pursue the creation of a total environment of care with the following objectives: reduce patient and visitor stress, reduce wait times and improve flow, improve staff sightlines both for security as well as clinical care, and capture natural light and views of nature at an urban edge. 

The goal for this project was to improve efficiency, safety, and satisfaction for both patients and staff with the design of a new bed tower for the hospital, a place where patients get better and where staff wishes to work.

The goal for this project was to: make the commitment to use an evidence-based design process, and the following planning objectives were established: clear patient wayfinding, distinct separation of inpatient/service flow versus public/visitor flow, patient access to clinical services, clear access to primary patient service entrances, staff operational efficiencies, reduction of falls and injuries, and visibility across the patient unit within the support core.

The goal for this project was to renovate two fifty-year-old patient wings into private rooms in a cost effective way for Butler County Health Care Center. The hypothesized outcomes resulting from the patient room design interventions included fewer patient and staff falls and favorable patient satisfaction scores.

Behavioral health settings guided by strict safety design measures often result in spaces that are stark, plain, and isolated - potentially exacerbating environmental stressors and escalating already difficult patient situations. Acute care emergency settings have a particular set of challenges as EDs are predicting increased visits from behavioral health patients. Faced with the challenge of designing a behavioral health care setting in the Emergency Department at UnityPoint Health in Rock Island, IL, the project team hypothesized that the creation of a Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) with a “Living Room Concept” would provide a higher quality of care to patients while assisting in the staff’s ability to quickly consult and treat a diverse set of patients entering the ED.