Process
Planning and Design of Healthcare Facilities revolves around the creation of Healing Environments that support hope, comfort, connectivity and flexibility. Design for Wellness treats patients' mind, body and spirit while also addressing the requirements of technology that is forever changing: the patient-centered, collaborative care model strives to improve access and convenience for patients in a new health, wellness and community focused facility. Our practice's focus on wellness is based on improving the lives and beneficial outcomes of patients and communities: in removing waste to streamline processes via Lean Analysis, helping staff work more efficiently and precisely. Our depth of experience in all types of healthcare facilities, from hospitals to multi-disciplinary medical office buildings, from surgical suites to radiation therapy and infusion centers, is unrivaled and has achieved exemplary operational improvements for clients in New York, Arizona and California.
Our process starts with an extensive Programming Phase, reliant upon collaboration and interaction with the staff using the future facility, including Lean Analysis of current conditions, developing ideal scenarios and melding future goals with budget, code requirements and technological constraints. We craft Guiding Principles together to formulate the goals and aspirations of the project and test future concepts. We also, upon request, prepare "mockups" of various spaces to allow staff to interact firsthand with the space and medical equipment. Work processes are scrutinized to remove waste and mapping of the flow of patients, staff and materials to help inform planning decisions. Finishes, colors and textures are carefully woven into the interior architecture to convey a sense of wellness and hope. View of nature, important framed vistas and incorporation of natural light help guide the planning process. "On Stage, Off Stage" clinical areas foster collaboration between caregivers while providing privacy and acoustical separation for patients and visitors. Clear way finding helps view care from the patient's perspective, especially important in specialty cancer centers.
INTERACTIVE PROGRAMMING SESSIONS
TEST FIT AND STRING DIAGRAMS
3D RENDERINGS
Conceptual and Design Development Phases further refine concepts discussed in the Programming Phase: more developed plans, including structural and mechanical/electrical engineering documents, are prepared with the goal of "conflict resolution" inherent in all the documents produced. We strongly recommend having a general contractor involved from Concepts through to Construction, to monitor budget and prepare schedules. Teamwork is the cornerstone to a projects' success. Avoidance of surprises and change orders during construction, all disruptive to the seamless flow of information and progress, is tantamount to our teams" successful collaboration. We strive to produce project documents that are precise, well detailed and discipline-coordinated to help prevent scope creep and budget"busts" resulting in project delays.
The Approval and Permitting Phase is extremely important to our team: as a former planning commissioner, Mr. Steinberg is personally involved in fostering a sense of collaboration with Planning Commissions and Building Departments, including Arizona Department of Health Services. Preliminary meetings with jurisdictional agencies and departments is crucial in developing the trust, understanding and vested interest in the success of each project that can only occur through a transparent process.
During the Construction Phase, our team is involved in weekly job site meetings with the general contractor, owner, user groups and appropriate engineering teams, to help manage the flow of information and make timely decisions that impact construction trades. Changes are inevitable: however, the ease in which changes are mitigated are crucial in allowing the flow and sequencing of construction to remain unimpeded. Our team is very focused on budget and schedule: as a team, we all need to be focused on the right issues to formulate a project management plan whose sole goal is project success.
