Conventional design parameters such as aesthetic guidelines, programs or budgets often override the design intent. Department interests can conflict with those of administration, budget concerns override design intentions, and the desires of the patient and visitor population are derived through speculation, word of mouth or limited questions on Press-Gainey surveys. The process of design can be frustrated by these constraints. The inability to tie design elements or strategies to larger desired outcomes for the healthcare organization as a whole then results in their being undervalued by healthcare clients.
But what if as architects, we could forge a more relevant connection between the bottom line and making great spaces that inspire, support and heal?