Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Ability to convert customer vision into functional
images
Ability to preempt and consider consequences and
limitations of design decisions
Ability to understand what talent set needs to be
involved and at what point in the process
Ability to assess and understand construction and
architectural drawings
Ability to understand and guide audiovisual and
software professionals in designing audiovisual and
storage solutions that are consistent with the
intended vision and application.
The team should be assembled or at least considered early
on. The criteria for contracting with contractors or archi-
tects should not rely on their experience to build medical
facilities but their ability to create a studio that will mimic
one. The different components of the team will have
relative importance at different times. The constant team
members, however, are the architect, the customer, and
the design consultant. Together, this core team will help
the customer realize the vision they set out with.
skeleton outline, the absence of any existing walls (in the
case of a remodel) does not bias the creative process.
Prior to any design work, detailed program information
from the customer needs to be gathered. It is not un-
common that they may not have the program information
straight away but this is where the facility design con-
sultant can facilitate by asking contextually relevant
questions. The facility is defined by the programs that
reside within it. The programs are in turn defined by the
curricula and objectives. Having this basic information
and knowing what the ''must-have's'' are allows the de-
signer to create a preliminary sketch. The sketch is not
arbitrary and calls on hospital design only at specific
junctures.
4.5.5 Function and utilization
The
type of simulation
to be done has a heavy influence on
the design of a facility. The concepts for a VR training
room versus a computer-based area versus a high-fidelity
mannequin-based area are all different and unique.
Having determined what programs will exist in a defined
space, the design team can move to flow and volume.
How many people will use each area in any given
period of time?
What concurrent sessions are likely to happen?
What are the constraints of the users that may
weight the use of the facility to a particular time
of the year?
Knowing the
intended use
of the facility and the
relative
utilization
requirements will help define the space re-
quirements. In some instances, the space is predefined
and will therefore be the constraining factor that will
influence type and utilization (see flow chart). In either
case, it is optimal to aim for a facility that is
functional
and achieves high utilization rates (70-75%) - while
keeping future growth in mind.
Utilization
- relates to the percentage use of the
given space over a defined period of time. A rate
of 75% is generally considered capacity. Beyond this,
the ability to maintain and flex the space becomes
constrained. Similarly, scheduling becomes
cumbersome and complex. The utilization rate is not
only determined by the number of participants but
also by the type of simulation. Scenario-based
mannequin simulation may have a lower throughput
of people per unit space per unit of time. The
exercise of determining how many participants will
likely be coming through the center per year (and for
what activity), after 3-4 years of operations, is very
valuable. In doing this, one can determine how many
same use areas are needed and how much overall
space is required (if space is not a constraining
4.5.4 Simulation center design
considerations
The notion that simulation facility design differs from
a hospital or classroom is just coming of age. Indeed, we
see these concepts appearing on listservs. As alluded to
earlier, the design of a simulation facility is not the
recreation of a hospital but a studio designed for educa-
tion that should provide adequate fidelity to immerse
individuals to believe they are delivering patient care. In
the case of skill trainers, the area should similarly embrace
principles that provide an efficient and conducive learning
environment. Center design should consider:
Type of simulation
Ongoing funding
Flow
Size of available space
Budget
Core values of the
institution
Future plans
Type, level, and
discipline of
participants
The vision of those
proposing the facility
Missing just one of these elements could result in cost to
the customer and limitations that were not previously
foreseen. There are several examples of this throughout
the world.
I often start the design of a facility with a blank sheet
of paper. The outline of the space is drafted onto the
paper and the interior only includes structures that are
immovable or structural in nature (e.g., electrical panels
and support columns, respectively). In creating this
