The Center for Care and Discovery at the University of Chicago Campus designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, in collaboration with Cannon Design is undoubtedly a high quality infrastructure providing efficient health care services to its users.
Since the starting of the semester we have been studying the recent trends in the heath care design industry and how they have been revolutionizing the new and upcoming projects by firms who have dedicated themselves to evidence based design and research influenced, data driven design processes. It was a great experience to see some of these ideas in action at the CCD, University of Chicago.
Much different to the lobby action we see in many hospitals, the sky lobby on the seventh floor gives a different impression to its users. It almost mimics an airport scene with casual seating around the registration desk at the center. More waiting spaces on the left with glass partition walls allows light to penetrate throughout the floor. Almost all the corridors end with spaces like lounge/ open discussion areas with curtain walls that allow light through them. The corridors are short and have projections(used as storage spaces) and recessions (entrance to rooms) that make them appear unlike a corridor, but more like an ante space.
I felt like we were able to see many answers that we have been having throughout the semester, in action. For instance, some of us have been discussing the advantages and disadvantages of having the office spaces and medical resident dorms in the hospital campus or as a separate entity in a closer proximity to the campus. CCD had a great answer called 'hoteling' as Susan Ourada, Operations Director at the University of Chicago Medicine mentioned. Their systems are remotely accessible and so the users do not require a personalized table, but a comfortable zone. They have the option of choosing either closed spaces with ceiling height glass partitions that they can reserve or work in the open office spaces.
It was also great to know their post evaluation processes for their design decisions. Ms.Ourada mentioned that the management had to grind and remove the marble threshold that served as a level difference for the shower area in patient rooms on the ninth floor since it was non universal friendly and the nurses had a tough time helping patients on wheel chairs in the toilet.
The carpeted floors that help in noise reduction in the patient rooms floor,efficient natural light access for all the users, adequate circulation areas and many more design attributes prove CCD to be a great Patient oriented and Evidence Based health care design project. It was a great experience to feel these spaces in reality than to look at them just in pictures.
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