Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
accommodate for function. This is where one considers
issues such as OR lights. These lights are costly and re-
quire expensive structural modifications to mount them.
The design team should carefully evaluate whether they
fall into the ''candy for the mind'' category or if they are
truly educational. Beyond expense, they will label your
room. This has been discussed earlier but is worthwhile
reiterating.
4.5.7.6 Storage
This topic does not need much explanation, except to say
it is almost always underestimated. All those beds and
equipment have to go somewhere lest they line the halls
of your new and beautiful center. As the design of
a center evolves, storage space is usually the first to be
decreased if more space is needed. Storage space is ab-
stract and is not considered to be functional for the
purpose of education. The exercise of creating a rough
catalog of equipment and supplies and then placing them
in the drawn storage areas can quickly make the point of
how much storage is really needed.
We are all familiar with the use of storage areas in our
own homes such as closets, basements, attics, and ga-
rages. The term
storage
connotes hidden and dormant.
We are also familiar with the use of utility areas such as
laundry, cleaning, and workshops. The term
utility
con-
notes accessible and active. Perhaps, relabeling all storage
space as utility will help focus its essential value added to
a simulation facility.
4.5.7.4 Electrical and information
technologies
Careful attention should be given to the electrical re-
quirements (amount, type, and location) of a room
within code limitations. This spans AC outlets to light
switches and types of switches (dimmers versus a simple
conventional binary switch). Also, consideration must be
given to the need to electrically isolate a specific area
should a scenario involve an electrical failure. The
placement of electrical outlets should be frequent and at
multiple heights along the walls. Power outlets for
mounted projectors will need to be installed at the ap-
propriate height or hung from the ceiling.
ITconsiderations are important and complex. A center
may have its own dedicated intranet or may exist on an
institutions network. Both have implications. New
technologies exist that use IT infrastructure to not only
deliver data but to stream audio and video as well. This
may be of some importance for certain centers that wish
to transmit to remote locations. An IT professional will
be able to quickly determine where junction boxes are
required and the amount of conduit and preinstalled dark
fiber that would suit the application and its intended
growth. In this way, the AV and IT professionals should
not only work closely as much of their cabling may follow
common pathways, but also share common cabling and
network equipment.
4.5.8 A walk-through
It is worthwhile taking a deep breath here and to take
a stroll through a design example (
Figure 4.5-1
). Imagine
that four students have come to the center. They are all
here for four different courses:
Pat needs to go to
simulation area 1 at
09:00 for a course
Francis is scheduled
for a course at 10:15
in sim area 2
Jeff needs to go to training
room 1 at 09:00
Alex is scheduled for
a course at 10:00
Trace the steps of each of these individuals starting from
point X on the schematic. Notice that the ONLY
common area is the central hall and core corridor (which
is faculty only). As each of these individuals enters sep-
arately or together, they do not disturb classes/courses in
progress. Similarly, as individuals leave or need to go to
the restroom, they cause minimal disruption within the
center. All their activities are quarantined to their re-
spective areas. In the event that you want a larger area,
Training Rooms 1 and 2 can be opened up and Simulation
Rooms 1 and 2 can also have some communication
through the core corridor. The center design provides for
easy access and egress and meets fire code for exits. Fac-
ulty and educators can meet with individuals in the office
area if needed. The core corridor acts as a ''faculty only''
area where preparation for the day can occur and where
supplies can be readily available given the natural variation
4.5.7.5 Security
It would be great if this was not a consideration, but in
most centers, theft is not unheard of. Not only is this
pertinent for equipment, but also for materials that may
be sensitive and confidential. It is therefore important to
involve your institutional security to consult on what
security measures would best suit the environment. This
can be as simple as to what side of the door the key lock is
on or the use of sophisticated card locks and tracking
systems. For confidential information, one should con-
sider redundant security measures as well as methods of
encryption in the case of electronic media. Networked
video systems originally designed for capturing the be-
haviors of students during sessions can be used to capture
those of intruders after sessions.
