The publisher and the author wish to thank the following

companies for their participation in this book:

Contents
AGROB BUCHTAL
Gira
KALDEWEI
nora systems
wissner-bosserhoff GmbH

Layout, cover design and typesetting

6 Foreword 66 Old age and dementia 148 Workflow: planning,
Reinhard Steger, Maria Martí Vigil, Clàudia Serra, Barcelona Healing spaces 67 Reducing potential dangers in patient rooms interfaces and methods
www.proxi.me Fritz von Weizsäcker 70 Bathroom
70 Reminiscence therapy through design 151 The interface between architecture and
Project management 70 Multi-sensory design interior architecture
Henriette Mueller-Stahl, Berlin 8 Introduction 70 Colours and patterns 152 Teamwork, decision-making and
72 Sensors collaboration with other experts
Translation 154 Design
Julian Reisenberger, Weimar 24 Functional areas 156 Tendering, bids and contract awarding
(except for contribution by Alan Dilani)
25 The patient room as primary experience
76 Ensuring hygiene 157 BIM

27 Single-bed versus two-bed rooms 86 Hygiene and design in medical

Copy editing
Michael Wachholz, Berlin
27
28
Floor plan
The bed
environments
Georg Daeschlein
158 Business economics,
Production
29 Bed linen marketing and operations
29 Rolling beds
Katja Jaeger, Berlin
29 Storage space 90 International 160 Staff

Paper:
30
33
Equipment and fittings – chairs and tables
Bathroom
developments and trends 162
163
Corporate interiors
Marketing for specific target groups
Hello Fat Matt 1.1, 135 g/m 2
33 Further fittings and conveniences 93 Medical tourism 164 Billing services
33 Blinds, shades and privacy curtains 93 Healing environments 164 Durability and hospital operations
Lithography
33 Accessibility and Evidence-Based Design (EBD) 165 Hospital 4.0 and upholding the human
Oriol Rigat, Barcelona
34 Corridors 93 Patient hotels perspective
34 Doors 94 Psychosomatics 166 Sustainability
Printing
35 Walls 94 Wellness
Offsetdruckerei Grammlich, Pliezhausen
36 Floors 94 Healthcare for the elderly
36 Ceilings and lighting 95 Universal Design
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data
36 Lounges 95 Rules and regulations 168 Acknowledgements
A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for at the
39 Waiting areas 96 Technological advances 169 About the authors
Library of Congress.
40 Reception areas and nursing stations 97 Politics 170 Illustration credits
97 Multi-cultural aspects
Bibliographic information published by the German National
Library
The German National Library lists this publication in the 44 Key components of the 98 Selected projects
Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are
available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de.
design task 100 Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage
45 A complex design task Hospital, Winfield, Illinois, USA
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether 45 Design quality 104 Franziskus Hospital, Berlin, Germany
the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the 46 Colour 108 King Juan Carlos University Hospital,
rights of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, recitation, 48 Material authenticity Madrid, Spain
broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in other ways, and 51 Multi-sensory design 110 Siloah-Oststadt-Heidehaus Clinic,
storage in databases. 52 Haptic Hanover, Germany
For any kind of use, permission of the copyright owner must be 53 Indoor air quality – temperature 114 Aiyuhua Hospital for Women and Children,
obtained. 55 Indoor air quality – smell Beijing, China
55 Smells as indicators of pollutants 118 Patient Room of the Future Prototype,
This publication is also available as an e-book (ISBN PDF 55 Floor coverings Berlin, Germany
978-3-03821-110-5) and in a German language edition 56 Sustainability and the environment 120 Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice (BACCH),
(ISBN 978-3-03821-492-2). 59 Construction details Sulaibikhat, Kuwait
59 Sound 124 Bumrungrad International Hospital,
© 2017 Birkhäuser Verlag GmbH, Basel 59 Acoustics Bangkok, Thailand
P.O. Box 44, 4009 Basel, Switzerland 60 Privacy screening 128 Maggie’s Centres, United Kingdom
Part of Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston 60 Light 132 Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, USA
61 Smart applications 134 Rems-Murr Hospital, Winnenden, Germany
Printed on acid-free paper produced from chlorine-free pulp. 64 Designing a salutogenic hospital and 138 The Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery ,
TCF ∞ patient’s room Khartoum, Sudan
Alan Dilani 142 Hospital Engineering Laboratory at the
Printed in Germany Fraunhofer-inHaus-Centre,
Duisburg, Germany
ISBN 978-3-03821-493-9 144 Patient Room 2020 Prototype,
New York, USA
987654321

www.birkhauser.com

2 Sketch of a dining area in a

patient room. 100% interior
2 While the basic elements of a patient room seem at
Sylvia Leydecker, Rems-Murr first glance straightforward, the need to reconcile
Hospital, Winnenden, Germany
the many considerations and requirements in a
3 Living area in a patient suite. Jim functioning overall concept is a considerably more
Clemes, Mother & Child Centre,
Luxembourg
complex task. And because the room ultimately
serves as a prototype for numerous patient rooms,
4 A two-bed room with two sets of
supply lines. Jim Clemes, Mother
it is worth investing due care and attention in opti-
& Child Centre, Luxembourg mising its design. The consequences of sub-opti-
mal design decisions quickly multiply and can, in
the worst case, lead to years of recurring unneces-
sary friction and wastage in hospital operations.
Meticulous planning can therefore save considera-
ble unnecessary costs.
Single-bed versus
3 with little free space or space for placing items.
two-bed rooms
For patients with private health insurance, single-
bed rooms are the norm. In Denmark, all new
hospital buildings contain only single-bed rooms.
In Germany, by contrast, two-bed rooms are com-
monly provided as a supplementary service option.
Each room must therefore be designed for two
beds with two sets of supply connections, even if it
is used at times as a single room. The second bed
is then simply removed or placed out of the way.
4 Depending on occupancy levels, this may be the
rule or the exception.
A single room is generally considered to be super-
ior: it offers greater personal privacy, patients have
more control over their environment, fewer distur-
bances and a lower risk of infection from others.
Two-bed rooms, on the other hand, offer the possi-
bility of social interaction and better patient safety,
because patients effectively “monitor” one another.
Older patients in particular often find single rooms
isolating. Which variant is better is a topic of ongo-
ing discussion. Other important factors include
the size of the room, the proximity to the nursing
station and the flexibility of their design. Patients
and nurses do not always have the same priorities
and which room people end up in often depends
on who is choosing: the patient or the nursing staff.
Ultimately, the level of occupancy and the combi-
nation possibilities with other patients often deter-
mine how rooms are allocated. In two-bed rooms it
is necessary to provide two sets of everything and
to make it clear which facilities belong to which bed
to avoid squabbles over which hook belongs to
whom, or people using the wrong towels. In either
case, comfort and the atmosphere of the room are
primary aspects of the design of both single- and
two-bed rooms.
Floor plan
Floor plans of individual patient rooms are typically
designed to maximise the efficient use of space
Luxurious patient rooms are often much more
spacious, but should not be too large to avoid the
sensation of “horror vacui”. In either case, beds
should be placed so that they can be reached from
three sides, so staff have direct access, especially
in the case of an emergency. Medical and nurs-
ing staff should be able to see the patient from
the door to assess the momentary situation on
entering the room. Placing the long sides of beds
against a wall can be problematic for patients with
restricted motion, for example if they are only able
to face or move in one direction. From the patient’s
perspective, the placement of the bed should
permit them to look outside onto greenery, to see
people entering via the door, to watch over their
belongings in the bedside cabinet and cupboard,
and to watch TV.
Freestanding items of furniture and built-in fittings
must be incorporated so that they do not obstruct
work patterns within the room and provide sufficient
space to move around. Fold-down tables are a typ-
ical example: they must be large enough to support
a food tray but designed with bevelled edges so that
they can be fixed to the wall. While these are not
always the most aesthetic solution, the need for suf-
ficient space to eat despite the minimal floor plan,
or to roll beds out of the room necessitates such
special designs for hospitals. In addition, they can

26 27

Leydecker / Designing the Patient Room  978-3-03821-493-9  May 2017

www.birkhauser.com
 Rems-Murr
1 Muted colours and subtle natural The new Rems-Murr Hospital includes both entire premium wards and indi-
tones have been used to create a
comfortable healing environment
vidual premium rooms in other wards that fulfil private health insurance criteria
with a hotel-like atmosphere. for comfort and a corresponding hotel-room atmosphere in all respects.

Hospital
2 A high-quality, discreetly lettered
door opens onto a patient room. Evidence-Based Design has been used to create a healing environment
3 Green colour accents – a wall
that embodies the clinic’s medical care philosophy and provides optimal
niche with a photographic detail conditions for patients to recover. The design language draws inspiration
of grasses behind hygienic glass
and a comfortable armchair with
from nature and the image of long grasses swaying in the wind. Different sand
textured upholstery and earth tones continue the natural theme, contrasting pleasingly with fresh
green accents to create a harmonious balance.
1

Hospital with multiple

medical specialities
Winnenden, Germany
Completion: 2014
Design: 100% interior,
Sylvia Leydecker

134 135

4 A healing environment through

The design of the clinic’s maternity ward, on the other hand, appeals spe- and through. The image of
7 8

cifically to the tastes of the predominantly younger clientele. All hygienic grasses also recurs in the
premium room’s bathroom.
requirements are fulfilled down to the last detail with clearly delineated, easy-
to-clean, hygienic surface materials. A variable lighting concept creates a 5–6 Sketches of the patient
room interior
warm atmosphere, even on grey days. Images of nature and discreet surface
textures make subtle reference to nature, while points of colour in the (non- 7 Warm colours evoke vitality.

brown) maternity room wallpaper lend the room a youthful, joyful atmosphere. 8 Transparent plastic contrasts
with the vertical grass-like
texture of the wall covering.
The technical equipment – which patients often find disconcerting – is hid-
den behind a vertical panel at the head of the bed. Generous views of the 9 Calm, clear interiors with a
view into a room
surrounding landscape round off the pleasant atmosphere of the room,
but patients can also darken the room by closing the curtains as required. 10 The maternity ward room for
private healthcare patients
addresses the needs of the
mother, child and visitors.

4 5

10

136 137

Leydecker / Designing the Patient Room  978-3-03821-493-9  May 2017

www.birkhauser.com