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Page 12 — Health Care Properties Quarterly — October 2017
Through our healthcare and corporate interiors practice, we are
committed to innovation, wellness, and our communities.
CONTACT US
Emily Sinclair, NCIDQ, IIDA
Healthcare Design Lead, Senior Project Manager
| 303.672.8502
DESIGNING TO
IMPROVE LIVES.
Engineering
E lectrical and mechanical
engineers are tasked with
two essential priorities
during health care proj-
ects — the first always is
patient safety and the second is to
ensure that facilities can continue
operations during a power outage.
Whether designing a new building
or modifying an existing structure,
health care projects require in-
depth knowledge and expertise to
stay current with ever-changing
modifications in building codes
and health care standards. For any
health care project, the mechani-
cal, electrical and plumbing engi-
neer should be well versed in all
factors related to his discipline.
• Facility continuation. Facil-
ity continuation always is a focal
point for MEP design, but we were
reminded of the importance of
keeping health care centers open
as we recently watched power out-
ages and flooding along coastal
regions during Hurricanes Harvey,
Irma and Jose. Although not every
part of the country has to pre-
pare for a possible hurricane, each
region is faced with its own set of
challenges, and Colorado is no dif-
ferent. During the Joplin, Missouri,
tornado in 2011, its hospital lost
electrical power and its generator
failed because it was submerged in
water as the tornado tore through
the facility, causing water pipes to
break and flood the hospital.
If the plan is to depend on a
generator during a power out-
age, what happens if you lose the
backup generator as well? These
are the types of
case studies that
drive innovation
and best practices
around health
care design. No
health care facil-
ity can completely
prepare for poten-
tial events, but
as design profes-
sionals, we learn
from history and
design solutions
to address the
worst-case scenario. Because of
Joplin and other events, it is now
common practice to back up essen-
tial systems with battery power, in
case the first two methods fail.
• Energy efficiency. Environmen-
tal factors drive a lot of decisions
around MEP design and operations
within health care settings. Here in
Colorado, generators not only play
a vital role during a power outage,
but also they are used intentionally
during peak heat hours to reduce
energy costs and stress on the
utility grid. This cost-saving tech-
nique requires orchestrated talks
between local energy providers
and the Environmental Protection
Agency to adhere to certain guide-
lines around burning and use of
natural gas or diesel.
According to an article by Energy
Manager Today, the average costs
for energy used in hospitals alone
is $3.11 per square foot, which is
why much of the new technology
and innovation around MEP design
is focused on energy efficiency.
More and more, we are seeing
new ways to monitor mechani-
cal systems to collect more data.
This data makes facility managers
more equipped to watch for spikes
in power usage, monitor equip-
ment failure and make appropri-
ate updates, and clean equipment
for full efficiency. Monitoring tools
allow health care facility managers
to have a better understanding of
the building through the collection
and analysis of data that is then
used to incorporate best practice
techniques for overall improve-
ment of energy usage.
• Lighting design. Like heating
and cooling, lighting design plays
a big role in both energy efficiency
and patient comfort. Believe it or
not, psychology has a lot of influ-
ence over lighting design within
health care settings. Our bodies
and minds operate best when we
go to bed and wake up around the
same time, also known as circadian
rhythm. However, in health care
settings, this can be difficult when
staff works long shifts or patients
are being examined throughout the
night. The brain is impacted by fac-
tors such as light and dark, which
send a trigger to release melatonin
to prompt sleep. Advancements
in LED lighting have led to the
implementation of tunable light-
ing to modulate circadian rhythms.
Adjusting blue and yellow hues
helps staff keep their circadian
rhythm intact as they transition
out of the health care setting.
As we move into the future of
lighting design in health care set-
tings, there will continue to be
further advancements in LED
lighting, controls and monitoring
capabilities. One trend we’re seeing
during the design and construc-
tion process of health care facili-
ties is an increase in integrated
project delivery to optimize project
results. This is an interesting trend
because we continue to see more
tools available to collaborate virtu-
ally, but what owners are realizing
is that there’s no replacement for
on-site collaboration among all the
disciplines. Owners see the value
in improved efficiencies and cost
savings of having a representative
from each project discipline on site
to make quick changes and work
alongside each other to improve
the overall building structure
through collaboration.
Professionals tasked with design-
ing and constructing health care
structures have access to a lot of
education and resources to support
one another with lessons shared to
continue industry improvements.
At the same time, many regula-
tors are involved in approving the
design and construction of health
care facilities, from the joint com-
mission to state agencies. While
there are many different approach-
es to facility continuation, energy
efficiency, lighting and other design
considerations, it is important that
all owners, design disciplines, con-
tractors and regulatory agencies
keep patient care and safety as the
number one focus when working
on health care projects.▲
David Hughes
President and CEO,
BCER, Arvada