Perkins + Will is a research-based architecture and design firm which has about 22,000 professionals working in about 20 offices. It is a privately held corporation which was started in Chicago in 1935. It has consistently been ranked among the world’s leading design firms. Their Chicago office does projects in every arena including education, corporate, science and technology, healthcare and so on.
Research is an important integral part of their practice. They have Research Labs which collaborate with experts and academicians and explore different aspects of architectural, some of which include human experience, material performance, and energy. They practice evidence-based design and research especially in the health care department. This includes pre-occupancy evaluation studies by creating mock ups or through virtual reality in and post-evaluation assessments by conducting post-occupancy evaluations (POE). They publish a peer-reviewed journal twice a year in which they document some of their practice related research. According to “Four Levels of Evidence-Based Practice”, an article by AIA, such firms are called as level 4 practitioners. Level 4 practitioners perform evidence-based design not only by performing literature reviews, hypothesizing outcomes of design, and by writing about their findings but also by publishing peer-reviewed journals.
The Rush University Medical Center for example gets its unique form from the results of their pre-evaluation studies. They designed this unique four-petaled form based on the patients and staff used the space. It has a beautiful lobby which has been designed to act as an extension of the ED in case of a mass casualty. This design has one a number of awards in healthcare as well as other domains. During our visit to this facility, I felt like the lobby was very welcoming, and the spaces were naturally lit as they had large openings in the façade. This would really enhance the patient experience as there is a close relation to health and nature.
References:
http://research.perkinswill.com/about/
D. Kirk Hamilton, Four Levels of Evidence-Based Practice, AIA, 2004
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