Description
Despite growing vulnerability, unpreparedness, and insufficiency of hospital buildings against diverse emergent demands, evidence shows that there is a lack of coherent evidence on how to consistently add long-term value to hospital buildings to maintain their viability during their lifecycle. This challenge calls for an evolution in the lifecycle thinking that has been always integral to the hospital building design process; or what can be called “future proofing”. However, the limited research on future proofing hospital buildings largely oversimplifies the concept to mere flexibility; a narrowed understanding that does not respond to all lifecycle demands. Addressing existing knowledge gaps, this research aims to investigate future proofing in the architectural design of hospitals. This aim has been achieved via four objectives: 1) conceptualising future proofing; 2) critically analysing the implementation of future proofing approach by discussing its ramifications and challenges; 3) investigating the impact of future proofing on the architectural design processes for hospitals; and 4) investigating the demands required of architects in future proofing hospitals within the wider design team; including key stakeholders in hospital projects.The study harnessed both primary and secondary data and adopted a Multi-method Qualitative approach, including Scoping Review, Semi-structured Expert Interviews and Multidisciplinary Focus Group Discussion. While Scoping Review, Semi-structured Expert Interviews and Multidisciplinary Focus Group Discussion were the three main research methods serving data collection (and giving triangulation), Advisory Panel Session and Member Checking were also two techniques used to improve, respectively, reliability and validity and together contributing to the credibility of this qualitative research. As such, the research design entails five sequential stages: 1) Scoping Review; 2) Advisory Panel Session 3) Semi-structured Expert Interviews 4) Member Checking; and 5) Multidisciplinary Focus Group Discussion. Participants in the Semi-structured Expert Interviews and Multidisciplinary Focus Group Discussion, respectively, included sixteen Australia-based experienced hospital architects and nine key stakeholders in hospital projects representing their own disciplines.
This research proposes a definition to improve the oversimplified understanding of future proofing that to date has been largely limited to crisis-driven approaches restricted to the consideration of Resilience and Changeability. This definition acknowledges the role of hospital building design (Passive/Active) and design approaches (Reactive/Proactive) at different stages of the building lifecycle. Accordingly, four future proofing objectives defining four future proofing levels can be proposed as Passive-Reactive, Passive-Proactive, Active-Reactive and Active-Proactive. These objectives can be achieved through six future proofing capabilities (Resilience, Maintainability, Changeability, Mitigation, Improvement, and Transition) that together form a taxonomic hierarchy for future proofing conceptualisation. The proposed taxonomic hierarchy of future proofing represents three future proofing dimensions: Survive (the Resilience–Mitigation continuum), Evolve (the Maintainability–Improvement continuum) and Thrive (the Changeability–Transition continuum). The participants of Semi-structured Expert Interviews and Multidisciplinary Focus Group recognised the proposed taxonomic hierarchy for future proofing as a holistic conceptualisation covering various lifecycle design considerations and a useful tool with multiple potentials to inform future proofing practice at different stages of hospital building projects, even during operation.
Besides conceptualisation, by discussing the ramifications and challenges of future proofing this study highlighted key points that can further inform decision-making. Findings on the impact of future proofing on the architectural design process and architects’ roles in future proofing also shed light on areas that need to be improved to successfully translate the concept of future proofing into hospital building design. Concerning research impact, in a postdoctoral independent industry internship research project I am analysing four completed and in-progress award-winning Australian hospital buildings through the lens of my proposed future proofing model. In this academic and industry joint research project, the model has been confirmed by the industry partner, and is informing the development of an evaluation tool to be used during the architectural design process. Keywords: hospital building; hospital architect; future proofing; building design process; lifecycle thinking; resilience; sustainability; adaptability.
| Period | 4 Apr 2023 |
|---|---|
| Examinee | Sanaz Memari |
| Examination held at |
|
| Degree of Recognition | International |