CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
Decarbonising allied to healthy design principles
Amid shifting budget constraints and pressing Net Zero targets, M&E designers and architects are re-evaluating the way they approach the design of healthcare facilities. However, says Steve Richmond, head of Marketing and Technical at Rehau Building Solutions, it is critical that these new considerations do not impact the wellbeing of patients and staff. Here he discusses the importance of instilling healthy design principles ‘to facilitate truly sustainable growth for the sector’.
As numerous research and academic studies have shown, and indeed practical experience in hospitals and other healthcare facilities have demonstrated, well-designed buildings are key to the provision of quality healthcare. This is a subject that has formed the centrepiece of many pieces of academic research, with the Design Council’s Future Health: Sustainable Places for Health and Wellbeing report among a raft of published documents highlighting the impact of building design on occupant performance in this sector. The importance of good healthcare facilities was
Below left: Well-designed buildings are key to the provision of quality healthcare.
Below right: In an effort to address concerns, the then government pledged £3.7 bn for the construction of 40 new hospitals by 2030.
brought into sharper focus than ever before during the pandemic, with a number of specialist buildings created to help bring effective care to COVID-19 patients. Perhaps the most well-known example were the emergency Nightingale Hospitals, which were constructed in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Exeter, Sunderland, Belfast, and Harrogate.
Pressure to decarbonise Added to the many different considerations for those involved in designing healthcare buildings is the growing pressure to decarbonise the built environment in the face of fast-approaching Net Zero targets. Given that the healthcare sector accounts for around 4.6% of global carbon emissions, the onus is on the sector to play its part in this transition, and – against this backdrop – there has
never been a more pertinent time to ensure that healthcare facilities are ‘healthy by design’, both in terms of occupant wellbeing and environmental impact.
Market challenges In short, the concept of ‘healthy by design’ is to ensure that facilities are constructed with current and future challenges in mind. While occupant wellbeing and sustainability appear to be the headline issues here, there are a number of wider considerations that health estate designers must take into account. Primarily, buildings constructed for NHS usage must adhere to strict safety standards. While some guidance on best practice is provided through the Department of Health and Social Care’s Health Building Notes, there is no indication as to how this should be achieved.
Alongside the construction of new buildings, designers must also contest with rapidly ageing building stock. The extent of this challenge was highlighted by data released in 2018-19, detailing a £6.8 bn maintenance backlog, of which £3.4 bn related to issues that presented a ‘high or significant risk to patients and staff’. This challenge has been exacerbated by the UK’s ageing population, with both men and women now living longer than ever, placing increased stress on public healthcare facilities. In an effort to address these concerns, the then government pledged £3.7 bn for the construction of
108 Health Estate Journal October 2024
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