Multiscale design and analysis models promise a robust, multimethod, multidisciplinary approach, but at present have limited application during the architectural design process. To explore the use of multiscale models in architecture, we develop a calibrated modeling and simulation platform for the design and analysis of a prototypical envelope made of phase change materials. The model is mechanistic in nature, incorporates material-scale and precinct scale-attributes, and supports the design of two-and three-dimensional phase change material geometries informed by heat transfer phenomena. Phase change material behavior, in solid and liquid states, dominates the visual and numerical evaluation of the multiscale model. Model calibration is demonstrated using real-time data gathered from the prototype. Model extensibility is demonstrated when it is used by designers to predict the behavior of alternate envelope options. Given the challenges of modeling phase change material behavior in this multiscale model, an additional multiple linear regression model is applied to data collected from the physical prototype in order to demonstrate an alternate method for predicting the melting and solidification of phase change materials.
Objectives: Develop a built environment mapping workflow. Implement the workflow in the emergency department (ED). Demonstrate the actionable representations of the data that can be collected using this workflow. Background: The design of the healthcare built environment impacts the delivery of patient care and operational efficiency. Studying this environment presents a series of challenges due to the limitations associated with existing technology such as radio-frequency identification. The authors designed a customized mapping workflow to collect high-resolution spatial, temporal, and activity data to improve healthcare environments, with emphasis on patient safety and operational efficiency. Method: A large, urban, academic medical center ED collaborated with an architecture firm to create a data collection, and mapping workflow using ArcGIS tools and data collectors. The authors developed tools to collect data on the entire ED, as well as individual patients, physicians, and nurses. Advanced visual representations were created from the master data set. Results: In 48 consecutive hourly snapshots, 5,113 data points were collected on patients, physicians, nurses, and other staff reflecting the operations of the ED. Separately, 84 patients, 10 attending physicians, 10 resident physicians, and 17 nurses were tracked. Conclusions: The data obtained from this pilot study were used to create advanced visual representations of the ED environment. This cost-effective ED mapping workflow may be applied to other healthcare settings. Further investigation to evaluate the benefits of this high-resolution data is required.
Background
Refugee and immigrant populations have diverse cultural factors that affect their access to health care and must be considered when building a new clinical space. Health design thinking can help a clinical team evaluate and consolidate these factors while maintaining close contact with architects, patients’ community leaders, and hospital or institutional leadership. A diverse group of clinicians, medical students, community leaders and architects planned a clinic devoted to refugee and immigrant health, a first-of-its-kind for South Philadelphia.
Methods
The planning process and concept design of this wellness center is presented as a design case study to demonstrate how principles and methods of human-centered design were used to create a community clinic. Design thinking begins with empathizing with the end users’ experiences before moving to ideation and prototyping of a solution. These steps were accomplished through focus groups, a design workshop, and iterations of the center’s plan.
Results
Focus groups were thematically analyzed and generated two themes of access and resources and seven culturally specific subthemes that informed the design workshop. A final floor plan of the wellness center was selected, incorporating priorities of all stakeholders and addressing issues of disease prevention, social determinants of health, and lifestyle-related illness that were relevant to the patient population.
Conclusions
Design thinking methods are useful for health care organizations that must adapt to the needs of diverse stakeholders and especially underserved or displaced populations. While much has been written on the theory and stages of design thinking, this study is novel in describing this methodology from the beginning to the end of the process of planning a clinical space with input from the patient population. This study thus serves as a proof of concept of the application of design thinking in planning clinical spaces.
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