Functional hospitals for humans

Hospital architecture deals with high complexity, due to the high variable of diverse and complex users (health professionals, patients, caregivers, visitors); the flows generated by living in hospitals; the activities carried out and the equipment and technological infrastructures involved that constantly change and evolve. The history of hospitals shows that hospitals have dealt with organisational and spatial issues due to the challenges posed by continuous technical, scientific and social developments. Moreover, it is widely recognized that the hospital environment in terms of layout configuration and spatial characteristics has an impact on how people move, act, and behave in space, as well as on their perception and wellbeing. The aim of this paper is increasing awareness in this field, by the analysis of different case studies and best practices, to support the design process in promoting environmental comfort and users’ wellbeing. Understanding how to manage complexity in hospitals by an effective and flexible design could affect users' proactive behaviours and improve energy efficiency, costs and perceived environmental quality by all “humans” (patients, staff and visitors). This aspect deals particularly with the management of flows and the layout organisation of functional areas that could have a real impact on the environment by the separation of paths and users flows, the wayfinding and ease of orientation, the reduction of distances covered, the relations generated by designing spaces and eliminating architectural barriers (physical, mental and sensory). Many studies about the design impact focus on specific hospital functional areas, but more studies are necessary to consider the hospital as a whole system. This research is going to contribute to the knowledge of new models of typologies and flows in the conception phase of the hospital and address complexity by providing “functional hospitals for humans”.