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In late 2011, I blogged about a biowall installation in a Drexel University building. Generally, plant life is not very plentiful in hospitals—despite the indoor environmental benefits they provide like toxin filtering, oxygen production, temperature moderation, and aesthetic / calming benefits to building users. When I discovered the Drexel Papadakis Building biowall 30 months ago, not […]
January 14, 2014
Last fall, I listened to the Healthcare Design Conference (HCD.13) keynote speaker, Thomas Goetz talk about “hardware vs. software”. Among many salient points, he was the latest to build on the argument that healthcare’s focus on the infrastructure to deliver care has created a barrier to the emotional well-being of the patient, which is a […]
May 9, 2013
If you start a discussion about infection control with a hospital administrator, hand washing is likely to come up—and hand washing is a proven method for clinical cleanliness. However, from a design standpoint, hand washing is a micro-level tactic to combat the 900-pound gorilla that is infection prevention. There are macro-level strategies that, if not […]
May 2, 2013
After reading about the monstrous investments made by several children’s hospitals nationwide, I thought long and hard about how I should react. The designs showcased in the WSJ article suggested desperation, waste. The expression “lipstick on a pig” came to mind. Then I remembered an earlier quote from one of my previous posts, where savvy […]
November 7, 2012
Many architects dismiss vendors who want to come to their firm and pitch their wares. Not me. I find vendor presentations an easy and rewarding way to keep up with industry products—and not just because of the CEUs and free lunches. I especially like to attend lunch-and-learns on products that are not healthcare related, to make sure […]
November 5, 2012
Trend mining is like panning for gold. Every once in a while a nugget is found, but it can take a large volume to find what you are looking for. Medical Construction + Design’s Sept/Oct issue (pages 40-1) has a healthcare article that touched on four new interiors trends. Unbeknownst to trend prognosticators, one designer’s trend is another designer’s best practice. Only […]
June 20, 2012
A perspective from another field of study can provide just the right amount of rational support for design, which can be so subjective at times. I like numbers because they are a real illustration. Maybe you caught my post on the business case numbers behind why the RFP process is so fruitless for hospitals. Some design […]
February 1, 2012
We know the confirmation of germ theory in the late 1800s led to a design revolution of the interior healthcare environment. For instance, Victorian Era hold-overs like wood floors and drapes were out, in favor of hard, less porous surfaces like porcelains, ceramics, and stainless steel. Easy-to-clean and disinfect was favored, which led to more curves […]
December 8, 2011
In this month’s Buildings is an interesting one-page article on a “biowall” built into Drexel University’s Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building. This particular structure is enormous, 22′ wide by 80′ high and the largest in the U.S., though biowalls need not be that large. A biowall is a structure that facilitates hydroponic plant life, which helps regulate […]
Owner's Toolbox 
May 22, 2014
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