CHU SIN CHUNG Adrian 332874 Human Environments Relations ABPL 90322 Research Project
Abstract The study is aimed at identifying the elements in a hospital environment that allow for both the performance of the medical staff and the efficient recovery of patients, and the possible compromises that might arise between the needs of both parties. The research has been conducted at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Parkville, and has investigated patients, doctors and nurses. The results have been analysed and evaluated against a set of theories and compared to a series of existing researches and current practices.
Introduction Over the past century, the design of hospital spaces has been largely focused around the patient. Lindsay Prior makes a mention of the miasmic theory of disease, where space had to be organised around the patient to allow the dissipation of miasma through the optimisation of airflow.1 On the same line, Laurence Nightingale stated that the primary purpose of the hospital is to ‘do the sick no harm.’2 This was over a century ago, and until recently, the focus on the patient was still very apparent in terms of research – most of the literature published in the past decades concerning the effect of the environment in the health sector was centred around the patients (in terms of post occupancy evaluation mainly). Even though in the past 30 years, claims have been made about the importance of both the patient and the medical care provided3, only recently have studies been conducted to collect a set of evidences to inform the design of a space. While this paradigm shift might help reinvent the organisation of the hospital, Sally McIntyre argues in her article that there still does not exist sufficient and adequate methodology to conceptualise the effect of the environment on the people occupying it.4 This research has been designed to specifically attempt to draw the bridge between patient and medical staff, and attempt to establish whether the century‐ long practice of prioritising the spaces for the patients is still relevant vis‐a‐vis modern medical practice.
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Prior, P., ‘The Architecture of Hospital: A Study of Spatial Organisation and Medical Knowledge’. p94 Weeks, J. and Hoare, J., ‘Designing and Living in a Hospital: An Enormous House’. p.467 3 Duckett, S. J. and Kristofferson S. M., ‘An Index of Hospital Performance’ 4 McIntyre, Sally et al., ‘Place Effects on Health: how Can We Conceptualise, Operationalise, and Measure Them?’ p.126 2
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