WE202 – Impacts of Flexible Design in Healthcare Environments

Continuous change is the norm in healthcare delivery, and flexibility and adaptability in design are paramount to help meet the demands of this changing environment. Healthcare architects must first understand the operational demands of individual facilities to determine current and future state needs before defining what a flexible and adaptable environment means to a healthcare facility.

Using UCHealth in Denver, Colorado and OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma as case studies, this session will explore examples and solutions such as emerging trends, universal layout concepts—mobilizing for surges or change in acuity—and flexibility and adaptability of spaces.

Learning Objectives

  1. Discover emerging trends in the healthcare environment that impact architecture design.
  2. Learn the importance of universal layout concepts.
  3. Identify strategies for mobilizing patient surge or acuity needs.
  4. Review the flexibility of spaces to adapt for technological advances and innovations.