Open Rooms for Future Health Care Environments

Nov 01, 2017

In recent years, many studies have revealed an increasing rate of hospital obsolescence, which reflects the velocity at which contemporary society and medical knowledge evolve. Recognizing this challenge, the main goal of contemporary and future hospital planning is to create flexible facilities capable of modifying and updating their services over time. Working from Professor Kendall’s Open Building theorization (Kendall, 1999) and current applications of hotel facilities plug-in rooms, a multidisciplinary research group from Alta Scuola Politecnica has developed the Open Room approach, an innovative design solution that is able to adapt to changing needs. The final product is a prefabricated room, transportable in three parts and able to accommodate a variety of fit-out changes. The interior space is defined by a series of customizable wall panels with foldable furniture and integrated functions, while the tri-partition of the substructures creates the possibility to remove the room and repurpose the building over time. The research work defined the conceptual and technological framework for different ongoing studies on economic feasibility and possible market application.

Author: 
Tarek Afifi Afifi (Politecnico di Milano)
Khadijah Al Khuwaitem (Politecnico di Milano)
Mirco Alberini (Politecnico di Milano)
Andrea Brambilla (Politecnico di Milano)
Fiammetta Carla Enrica Costa (Politecnico di Milano)
Maria Rosanna Fossati (Politecnico di Milano)
Alice Franca (Politecnico di Milano)
Mattia Palumbo (Politecnico di Torino)
Gabriella Peretti (Politecnico di Torino)
Riccardo Pollo (Politecnico di Torino)
Francesco Scullica (Politecnico di Milano)
Marco Gola (Politecnico di Milano)
Periodical: 
The Academy Journal of the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH)
Published & professionally reviewed by: 
The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
File: 

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