A National Look at Hospital Bed Tower Design. 2021

Michael J Pingel
Turner Construction Company, Nashville, TN, USA.

This study evaluates 171 hospital bed tower designs from the past decade. The Floor-building gross square feet (BGSF)/Bed, patient care area, ratio between them, and the bed count per unit were analyzed. The findings suggest that the average patient care area has decreased 5%-10% to a 305 departmental gross square feet (DGSF)/Bed average. The patient care area, support, circulation, and area grossing on floor were found to average 908 Floor-BGSF/Bed, and were impacted by the total beds/unit. It was determined that larger bed count per unit designs with 32-36 beds/unit average 21.9% less Floor-BGSF/Bed than designs with 24 beds/unit. The research evaluates design solutions impacted by a shifting environment of regulatory change and escalating costs. The hospital bed towers represent new facilities, horizontal/vertical expansions, and 25+ design teams. Design and/or construction took place during a 10-year period (2008-2018). The acute patient unit designs were reviewed and electronically quantified. The area measurement methodology aligns with the guidelines set forth in the "Area Calculation Method for Health Care" guidelines. Each project team was faced with a unique but similar set of circumstances. The balance between core values, guiding principles, budget, and quality of care was always present and included a diverse combination of owners, designers, construction delivery methods, profit models, and clinical approaches. In today's world, common solutions are grounded in providing the best value. Project teams face a number of challenges during design. The lack of information should never be one.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D006749 Hospital Design and Construction The architecture, functional design, and construction of hospitals. Hospital Renovation,Hospital Renovations,Hospital Construction,Hospital Construction and Design,Hospital Design,Hospital Designs,Construction, Hospital,Design, Hospital,Designs, Hospital,Renovation, Hospital,Renovations, Hospital
D006761 Hospitals Institutions with an organized medical staff which provide medical care to patients. Hospital
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001513 Beds Equipment on which one may lie and sleep, especially as used to care for the hospital patient. Mattresses,Bed

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