In the A/E/C sphere, we tend to generalize when talking about project types. For many of us, our work falls into big buckets titled things like K-12, Commercial, Industrial, Housing and, of course, Healthcare. The reality is however, that each of these project categories could easily be sub-divided into about a dozen more, each with its own specific brand of design requirements, challenges, and goals.
Healthcare is one of the largest buckets many of us work diligently to fill. In the United States, this category accounts for between $40-50 billion in construction annually. But within that bucket, the types of healthcare facility design are as varied and specialized as the medical industry itself. While general practice hospitals and clinics are major players, there is also an emerging market and need for specialty facilities designed to deliver highly-focused, expert care.
In this edition of Plains Talk, we discuss our design approach for several of these specialty environments, with a particular focus on procedure rooms, surgical suites, and imaging facilities. Perhaps just as importantly, we also talk about what makes them different.