Medical equipment is crucial in a hospital. Incorporating this core element into designs at the earliest opportunity avoids costly corrections during construction.
Hospital design tends to begin with the question of how care processes should function. Because of this starting point, often the space, layout and structural and technical provisions required for medical equipment are incorporated late in the design process. By that point, floorplans and construction principles are largely fixed with corrections having far-reaching consequences for planning, budget and feasibility.
Early involvement improves control over planning and costs
Considering medical equipment early and comprehensively allows the requirements the equipment places on the building and its systems to be fully incorporated into the preliminary design. This makes a significant difference to all stakeholders. The healthcare staff can assess whether the spatial layout aligns with their work processes, clinical physicists and medical technology specialists can check the safety and technical provisions and department heads are able to contribute ideas on logistics routing and future flexibility.
" Subsequently, the budget and schedule for medical equipment replacement and future purchases are established early with the procurement department and incorporated into the overall project planning and budget.
This delivers four concrete benefits:
- No technical surprises during construction – equipment requirements are incorporated into the design at an early stage.
- Clear coordination between parties – who supplies what and how systems are connected is established from the outset, eliminating further discussions during implementation.
- Suppliers and construction partners can coordinate – schedules are synchronised, so there is no waiting for information to become available.
- A single point of contact for all technical disciplines – the coordination burden on the client is reduced.
At Tergooi MC and Bravis Hospital, this integrated approach led to better coordination between medical fit-out, installations and implementation right from the first phase of the project. By combining medical fit-out with electrical and mechanical engineering expertise within a single integrated project team, dependencies became visible and manageable at an early stage.
Agreement drawing and 3D model provide clarity on collaboration
To make these dependencies manageable, an “agreement drawing” setting out the hospital’s functional requirements serves as the guiding document throughout the design process. For each room, Deerns specifies which equipment will be installed, where it will be located and what connections it will require. Responsibilities and technical preconditions are also fully documented. All subsequent project decisions build on the information in the agreement drawing.
Furthermore, Deerns always works with three-dimensional models. A 3D model easily conveys far more than a stack of A4 pages covered with technical specifications can. Conflicts between systems are visible immediately. Clients can take a virtual walk through the space and understand what is intended, without having to read through extensive files. All the information is contained within the model: the latest status, the demarcations, the position of every facility. This results in faster coordination and more confident decision making.
The result is a design that provides greater control over the schedule and costs – and therefore greater peace of mind throughout the implementation phase.
A future-proof hospital starts with tomorrow’s needs
Hospitals are becoming increasingly smart. Track-and-trace optimises logistics processes; robots support sterilisation of equipment and spaces, and distribution of medication is becoming increasingly automated.
" But future-proof care is about more than just technology. It requires buildings that are energy-efficient, sustainable to operate and contribute to the well-being of patients and healthcare professionals.
With the Blue Hospitals approach, Deerns develops innovative, energy-efficient and people-centred hospital environments. We combine technical engineering with experience gained from complex hospital projects and knowledge of medical facilities – a combination of expertise that is rare within the engineering industry. From equipment positioning and radiation protection to supplier coordination and logistical care processes we create environments where all disciplines can work seamlessly together.
This results in buildings that not only function today but are also capable of meeting the healthcare needs of tomorrow.
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