Facility Planning Part I
Catherine Johnson
HCS 466
March 25, 2013
Johnnie West
Health care facilities need to convey a place that is welcoming and a commitment to patient well-being. It also should present a place of pride for the workers to enter every day. As the planning stage begins for building a stationary facility for underprivileged of the tri-county area, the mobile station will remain in operation during and after construction.
The public should also feel safe in a health care facility because of the high amounts of oxygen and other chemicals and equipment that present a hazard. The biggest concern is one of safety and fire hazards must be dealt with in a particular way, so regulations are in place to ensure this is done. This is a complex undertaking because not all fires can be dealt with by dowsing with water or fire extinguishers. The design should also allow for evacuation during a fire. There should be ramps and walkways that are wide and provide ample passageways for wheelchairs and gurneys that can easily transport patients to the waiting area.
Aesthetics are also a component in facility design since the intent is make it appealing to visitors and employees. “Colors and special effects, such as sparkle and frost, can improve the visual appeal of devices” (Frissora, 2010).” Indoor lighting may influence the color of a device by fading or shifting the original color” (Frissora, 2010). “Specially formulated engineering resins such as PC/polybutadiene-terephthalate (PBT) blends, PC/ABS blends, and acrylic-styrene-acrylonitrile (ASA) have been developed to lessen the effect of indoor lighting, and therefore, improve the long-term appearance of equipment” (Frissora, 2010). Color, then, is not only an aesthetic for the eye but also aid the building and the equipment in their function and in their durability. Hospital interiors are often made of hard reflective materials for ease of cleaning and avoidance of bacteria. The unfortunate...