The strategic role of interfaces between levels in complex buildings design

Looking back to the history of healthcare design we can find many different theories and methodologies that attempted to face, through design solutions and design process management, an increasing functional and technical complexity, as well as a demand for flexibility and innovation. The Open Building approach has demonstrated that it can provide very useful tools in this field (Kendall S. 2004). The concept of environmental levels has been successfully used to carry out an improvement in the realization processes and in the technological systems concept (Building Futures Institute. 2002.). Some of the most remarkable practical applications concerned the management of project, tender and construction phases, are focused mainly on relationships between base or support level and infill or fit out level. Both levels were exactly characterized by specific requirements and different flexibility degrees. In this paper we will discuss the use of the basic principles of environmental levels in complex building project development. We think that a proper use of environmental levels principles can be useful in managing the complex and dynamic spatial systems of hospital buildings. We will especially argue that, in complex buildings, levels appear to be not so easily separable unless we define their interface conditions. Interfaces can be seen as new entities or physical spaces were it is possible to recognize and manage the main relationships between different levels and facilitate the understanding of transitions for all kind users and designers. The assumptions will be supported by a summarized analysis of two case studies in our national context.