9/4/2021 Designing a health facility for the next pandemic | Building Design + Construction

(http://www.bdcnetwork.com/horizontv)

HorizonTV Featuring BD+C: Watch Episodes On Demand At HorizonTV

(https://www.horizontvweb.com/buildingdesignconstruction )

   
(https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-
(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZthiLc5l-
design- rUWLM-
  construction-
    6NP-  
(https://twitter.com/BDCNetwork)
media)
(https://www.facebook.com/BDCnetwork)
(http://feeds.feedburner.com/bdcnetwork/news)
1sg) (https://www.instagram.com/bdcnetwork/)

 Contact (/Contact-Us)  Download Media Kit (Https://Www.Bdcnetwork.Com/Form/Media-Kit-Request)

 Subscribe To Magazine (Https://Sgc.Dragonforms.Com/BDC_prefs&Pk=LAND) ✉ Subscribe To Newsletters (Https://Sgc.Dragonforms.Com/BDC_prefs&Pk=LAND)

(/)

Designing a health facility for the next pandemic

Planning with intent is the key to readiness, states Eppstein Uhen Architects, the guide’s author.

CORONAVIRUS (/CORONAVIRUS) | MAY 22, 2020 | JOHN CAULFIELD, SENIOR EDITOR

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/designing-health-facility-next-pandemic 1/10
9/4/2021 Designing a health facility for the next pandemic | Building Design + Construction

Making better use of parking lots to regulate who enters a healthcare facility is one of the
considerations for controlling the spread of infectious diseases made in a new guide released by the
architecture firm EUA. Images: EUA
    

E ppstein Uhen Architects (EUA) has released a 16-page guide (https://www.eua.com/media/8861/covid-19-planning-

impacts.pdf) that provides pandemic considerations for health facility design. The document focuses on four objectives:

1. Reducing patient presentations at facilities, with specific focuses on telehealth, site design and planning, and drive-through
testing. For example, the guide’s considerations for reducing patient presentations include using the facility’s parking lot to manage
who enters the building. It recommends a single point of entry and exit, a staffed gatehouse to direct and track patients (via
smartphone technology), and drive-through services for pharmacies and labs.

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/designing-health-facility-next-pandemic 2/10
9/4/2021 Designing a health facility for the next pandemic | Building Design + Construction

The guide emphasizes the importance of drive-through options for controlling who enters a healthcare building.

2. Isolating infectious patients, and how to prepare vestibules, entries, waiting rooms, and reception areas. The guide recommends
larger vestibules to accommodate more functions and equipment, as well as temperature screening, physical distancing, and
touchless entry supplemented by hand sanitizer stations and mask dispensers. Planning, the guide states, will also consider “placing
a negative pressure multipurpose room adjacent to registration to isolate patients with symptoms of infectious diseases.

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/designing-health-facility-next-pandemic 3/10
9/4/2021 Designing a health facility for the next pandemic | Building Design + Construction

Screening patients as they enter a building is imperative.

3. Improving facilities’ ability to reduce the spread of infection. The guide makes specific planning recommendations for clinics,
hospital lobbies, emergency departments, elevators, materials management, and restrooms. Triage areas at the front door will help
sort well and unwell patients. One-way patient flow will ensure patients don’t cross paths with potentially unwell patients who are
entering the building.

For clinics, EUA favors a “library” model that includes community spaces (e.g., rooms for meetings and group therapies, physical
therapy, or for staff break rooms) with access to the building’s main entrance. During a pandemic, a community space would be
converted to serve as a buffer between screened and unscreened patients.

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/designing-health-facility-next-pandemic 4/10
9/4/2021 Designing a health facility for the next pandemic | Building Design + Construction

The guide recommends one-way traffic so that well and unwell patients don't intersect.

4. Providing surge capacity for high-volume episodes. The guide offers considerations for separating infected patients, providing
separate entrances, ventilation (including providing a negative pressure relationship in the infectious side of the unit), and
repurposing lower-acuity patient care spaces for increased patient beds.

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/designing-health-facility-next-pandemic 5/10
9/4/2021 Designing a health facility for the next pandemic | Building Design + Construction

This diagram of an inpatient nursing unit shows how strategies can be employed to separate non-infectious and infectious patients
in the same bed unit.

“Planning a building that seeks to fully address all aspects of operations during a pandemic is a major undertaking,” the guide
concedes. Therefore, “it is important to be intentional about the decisions each organization makes around pandemic planning for
each project.”

RELATED ARTICLES
JULY 20, 2021 | CORONAVIRUS (/CORONAVIRUS) | LES HISCOE, CEO, SHAWMUT DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION

5 leadership lessons for a post-pandemic world from Shawmut

CEO Les Hiscoe (/hiscoe5lessons2021)
Les Hiscoe, PE, CEO of Shawmut, a $1.5 billion construction management company
headquartered in Boston, o...
READ MORE (/HISCOE5LESSONS2021)
MARCH 31, 2021 | CORONAVIRUS
(/CORONAVIRUS) | JOHN
(/hiscoe5lessons2021) CAULFIELD, SENIOR EDITOR

Theatrical fog
formula approved
as antimicrobial air
treatment
(/theatrical-fog-
(/theatrical-fog-formula-approved-antimicrobial-air-treatment) formula-approved-
antimicrobial-air-treatment)
At least two solutions are being used to make ventilation systems safer.
READ MORE (/THEATRICAL-FOG-FORMULA-APPROVED-ANTIMICROBIAL-AIR-TREATMENT)
MARCH 11, 2021 | CORONAVIRUS
(/CORONAVIRUS) | BD+C STAFF

The Weekly show,

March 11, 2021: 5
building products
for COVID-related

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/designing-health-facility-next-pandemic 6/10
9/4/2021 Designing a health facility for the next pandemic | Building Design + Construction

conditions, and AI

for MEP design
(/weekly-show-
march-11-2021-5-
building-products-
covid-related-
conditions-and-ai-
mep-design)
(/weekly-show-march-11-2021-5-building-products-covid-related-conditions-and-ai-mep-design) This week on The Weekly
show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders about building products and sy...
READ MORE (/WEEKLY-SHOW-MARCH-11-2021-5-BUILDING-PRODUCTS-COVID-RELATED-CONDITIONS-AND-AI-MEP-
DESIGN)
FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | CORONAVIRUS (/CORONAVIRUS) | JOHN CAULFIELD, SENIOR EDITOR

COVID-19 spurs need for specific building

solutions (/covid-19-spurs-need-specific-building-
solutions)
A medical supply house’s new call center and a vaccination module that can
handle more patients faster ar...

READ MORE (/COVID-19-SPURS-NEED-SPECIFIC-BUILDING-

SOLUTIONS)
(/covid-19-spurs-need-specific-building-solutions) NOVEMBER 09, 2020 | CORONAVIRUS
(/CORONAVIRUS) | TAMI HAUSMAN,
PHD, AND LONNY ROSSMAN, AIA,
NCARB

Even now,
marketing is not a
four-letter word
(/even-now-
(/even-now-marketing-not-four-letter-word) marketing-not-
four-letter-word)
As AEC firm leaders consider worst-case scenarios and explore possible solutions to surmount them, they l...

READ MORE (/EVEN-NOW-MARKETING-NOT-FOUR-LETTER-WORD)

NOVEMBER 05, 2020 | CORONAVIRUS
(/CORONAVIRUS) | THORNTON TOMASETTI

Thornton Tomasetti releases

'Healthy Reentry' free
software to aid safe office
return (/thornton-tomasetti-
releases-healthy-reentry-
free-software-aid-safe-office-
(/thornton-tomasetti-releases-healthy-reentry-free-software-aid-safe-office-return) return)
Open source app provides customizable health reporting and contact tracing capabilities.

READ MORE (/THORNTON-TOMASETTI-RELEASES-HEALTHY-REENTRY-FREE-SOFTWARE-AID-SAFE-OFFICE-

RETURN)
OCTOBER 08, 2020 |
CORONAVIRUS (/CORONAVIRUS) |
BD+C STAFF

The Weekly show:

Statue of Liberty
Museum,

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/designing-health-facility-next-pandemic 7/10
 9/4/2021 Designing a health facility for the next pandemic | Building Design + Construction

emotional learning

in K-12, LA's
climate change
vulnerability
(/weekly-show-
statue-liberty-
museum-
emotional-
(/weekly-show-statue-liberty-museum-emotional-learning-k-12-las-climate-change-vulnerability) learning-k-12-las-
climate-change-vulnerability)
The October 8 episode of BD+C's "The Weekly" is available for viewing on demand.

READ MORE (/WEEKLY-SHOW-STATUE-LIBERTY-MUSEUM-EMOTIONAL-LEARNING-K-12-LAS-CLIMATE-CHANGE-

VULNERABILITY)
OCTOBER 07, 2020 | CORONAVIRUS (/CORONAVIRUS) | AIA

AIA releases 3D models, strategies

for reducing risk of COVID-19 in
polling places (/aia-releases-3d-
models-strategies-reducing-risk-
covid-19-polling-places)
Awards program highlights trends in healthcare
facility designs.
(/aia-releases-3d-models-strategies-reducing-risk-covid-19-polling-places)
READ MORE (/AIA-RELEASES-3D-MODELS-
STRATEGIES-REDUCING-RISK-COVID-19-POLLING-PLACES)
OCTOBER 02, 2020 | CORONAVIRUS (/CORONAVIRUS) |

SMPS Chicago panel on Covid-19 impact on the built

environment: October 14 (limited to 100)
(/smpscovidpanel2020)
READ MORE (/SMPSCOVIDPANEL2020)
OCTOBER 02, 2020 |
CORONAVIRUS
(/CORONAVIRUS) | JOHN

(/smpscovidpanel2020) CAULFIELD, SENIOR

EDITOR 

With revenues
drying up,
colleges
(/revenues-drying-colleges-reexamine-their-student-housing-projects) reexamine
their student
housing projects (/revenues-drying-colleges-reexamine-their-student-housing-
projects)
Shifts to online learning raise questions about the value of campus residence life.
READ MORE (/REVENUES-DRYING-COLLEGES-REEXAMINE-THEIR-STUDENT-HOUSING-PROJECTS)

pandemic&t=Designing%20a%20health%20facility%20for%20the%20next%20pandemic)
next-
facility-
health-
u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bdcnetwork.com%2Fdesigning-
(http://facebook.com/sharer.php?
Facebook

 LinkedIn
pandemic&mini=true&title=Designing%20a%20health%20facility%20for%20the%20next%20pandemic&ro=false&summary=&source=)
next-
facility-
health-
url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bdcnetwork.com%2Fdesigning-
(http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?

 Twitter
pandemic&text=Designing%20a%20health%20facility%20for%20the%20next%20pandemic)
next-
facility-
health-
url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bdcnetwork.com%2Fdesigning-
(http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/designing-health-facility-next-pandemic 8/10
 9/4/2021 Designing a health facility for the next pandemic | Building Design + Construction

 
Search 

COMMENTARY

Passports to a net-zero carbon future (/blog/passports-net-zero-carbon-

future)

(/blog/passports-net-zero-carbon-future) The great re-shuffle & re-think

(/blog/great-re-shuffle-re-think)

(/blog/great-re-shuffle-re-think) SPONSORED CONTENT

The Future is Bright

(/blog/future-bright)
(/blog/future-bright)

The mall of the future: Less retail, more content (/blog/mall-future-

less-retail-more-content)

(/blog/mall-future-less-retail-more-content) VIEW ALL BLOGS (/blogs)

TRENDING ARTICLES

The aggressive growth of Salas O'Brien, with CEO Darin

Anderson (/aggressive-growth-salas-obrien-ceo-darin-
anderson)
(/aggressive-growth-salas-obrien-ceo-darin-anderson)
A new Times
Square hotel
positions itself as
a resort (/new-
(/new-times-square-hotel-positions-itself-resort)
times-square-
hotel-positions-itself-resort)

SOM to lead the design of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic

Village (/som-lead-design-2026-milan-cortina-olympic-
village)
(/som-lead-design-2026-milan-cortina-olympic-village)
A new approach to
cold storage buildings
(/new-approach-cold-
storage-buildings)
(/new-approach-cold-storage-buildings)

CURRENT ISSUE
May/June 2021 (/Issue/Mayjune-2021)

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/designing-health-facility-next-pandemic 9/10
 9/4/2021 Designing a health facility for the next pandemic | Building Design + Construction

(/issue/mayjune-2021)
SUBSCRIBE TO MAGAZINE (HTTPS://SGC.DRAGONFORMS.COM/BDC_LAND)
SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTERS (HTTPS://WWW.BDCNETWORK.COM/MANAGE-SUBSCRIPTION?
ENC=UNDEFINED)
ISSUE ARCHIVE (ARCHIVE)
DIGITAL EDITION (HTTPS://MYDIGITALPUBLICATION.COM/PUBLICATION/?
M=46258&I=709481&P=1&VER=HTML5)

MOST POPULAR CONTENT

1. California State University Long Beach’s new dormitory is one of California’s most sustainable
(https://www.bdcnetwork.com/california-state-university-long-beach%E2%80%99s-new-dormitory-one-california%E2%80%99s-
most-sustainable)

2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019 (https://www.bdcnetwork.com/top-150-architecture-firms-2019)

3. Top 115 Contractor Firms (https://www.bdcnetwork.com/top-115-contractor-firms)

4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus (https://www.bdcnetwork.com/sagrada-familia-completion-

date-pushed-back-due-coronavirus)

5. Taco Bell Defy will revolutionize the drive-thru experience (https://www.bdcnetwork.com/taco-bell-defy-will-revolutionize-

drive-thru-experience)

Also of Interest:
Healthcare Facilities (https://www.bdcnetwork.com/building-types/healthcare-facilities)
101 Top Products: Glass+Glazing (https://www.bdcnetwork.com/101-top-products-glassglazing)
101 Top Products: Plumbing (https://www.bdcnetwork.com/101-top-products-plumbing)

© Copyright Building Design & Construction. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy (https://sgccompanies.com/privacy-policy) | Terms and Conditions (/terms-and-conditions)

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/designing-health-facility-next-pandemic 10/10