Hospital ward design : implications for space and privacy

This thesis examines the relationships between hospital ward design and aspects of visual privacy as a design criterion. It involves three stakeholders: users (potential and actual patients), experts and architects. In particular it explores the relationships between the spatial design of the plan configuration of buildings, in this case hospital open wards, and subjective judgments on spatial location for privacy across different demographics and cultural backgrounds. These variables are considered in the context of the current guidelines on, and regulations of, ward design criteria, and architects’ prioritisation of these criteria. Mixed methodological approaches – i.e. qualitative and quantitative methods – are employed. Space Syntax theory and its particular technique Visibility Graph Analysis (VGA) are used to quantify the spatial structure of six generic open ward types. A series of statistical analyses allowed the investigation of the relationships between measures of plan configurations and patterns of preferences in relation to beds’ spatial location for privacy assessed by means of a questionnaire. This is followed by qualitative policy analyses and semi-structured interviews with experts to provide a set of the relevant ward design criteria, which is used to conduct choice-based conjoint analysis to explore architects’ prioritisation of ward design criteria including patient’s privacy. Results showed a systematic relationship between the chosen location for privacy and spatial properties of the ward plans best represented by two measures: Integration and Control, with integration being the best predictor of preference. This was found to encompass universal preference for spatial locations of privacy across culture, age and gender and a specific significant difference as a result of previous experience of space. A reasonable awareness of the importance of patient’s privacy as a design criterion was found not only in the current guidelines and regulations on ward design but also in experts’ perception and architects’ prioritisation of ward design criteria. However, it appears that there is no framework to assess people’s privacy preference or specific information to guide architects on spatial preference. Systematic findings with respect to plan configurations are not only important in themselves, they provide the context within which detailed design choices can be made

Open Space Quality in Deprived Urban Areas: User Perspective and Use Pattern

AbstractThis study examines the quality of open spaces in the most deprived areas in Edinburgh from the perspective of end-users; and the influence of the physical and spatial qualities on how open spaces in such areas are used. The study was informed by an extensive review of the literature and a critical analysis of the relevant Scottish policies and guidance. A case study of Clovenstone Gardens in the Wester Hailes district of Edinburgh, was chosen for this study. A four-fold methodological approach was used for data collection and analysis including semi-structured interviews, attitudinal questionnaire, observation study and space syntax analysis. The study showed that both the physical and the spatial qualities of the open space under study did not meet the user's needs and expectations. This includes aspects of cleanliness, maintenance, safety and the open space layout design and quality. On the other hand, accessibility has shown to achieve a satisfactory level

The benefits quantification method: a practical approach to engaging stakeholders in the judgement of benefits realisation

The Benefits Quantification Method (BQM) is a practical approach to engaging stakeholders in the definition and judgement of benefits sought from investments in healthcare infrastructure; most notably buildings. As many of these benefits are intangible and cannot be directly measured, the extent of their realisation must be judged by the stakeholders to whom they will accrue. This requires a participatory approach to defining investment project intent and monitoring performance in realising same. The BQM addresses this problem by operationalising utility theory to quantify the benefit realisation performance of an investment project. These quantifications, which represent stakeholders’ perceptions of the worth of benefits realisation are intended to inform a Benefits Realisation Management Process (BRMP) such as HaCIRIC’s BeReal. This paper summarises the theoretical underpinnings of the BQM and presents a hypothetical example of its use derived from insights gained during its development. The role of a BQM Facilitator in engaging stakeholders in the translation of programme-level, strategic benefits into the project-level, tactical benefits they seek is explained. The practicalities of translating abstract definitions of benefits into practical explanations of what stakeholders expect benefits realisation to “look like” when achieved are addressed. The need for rigour in eliciting the judgements of benefit worth that underpin the BQM’s ability to translate stakeholder observations of benefitgenerating investment qualities into meaningful quantifications of benefit worth is identified

Quantifying the benefits of healthcare infrastructure investment

UK government seeks the use of Benefits Realisation Management Processes (BRMPs) to direct capital investments that are technically complex and must satisfy a diverse range of stakeholder needs. Although BRMP frameworks are available, methods to inform them with reliable quantifications of stakeholders’ judgements of benefits realisation are currently absent. The articulation of benefits in current practice is reviewed to establish the context of benefits realisation. Benefit-related healthcare policy is reviewed by desktop survey of government publications and NHSScotland business cases. A conceptual framework for benefits quantification which characterises benefits realisation using stakeholders’ judgements and perceptions of benefit worth is contributed. Translation of stakeholder judgements of benefit provision magnitude into indications of benefit worth by means of benefit functions is explored and related to BRMP operation. The use of utility functions to translate judgements of magnitude into representations of ‘worth’ is found to be an appropriate premise for benefit quantification

Sick building syndrome: are we doing enough?

Health and well-being are vitally important aspects of people centric building design and are the roots of productivity. Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a collection of factors that can negatively affect physical health in several ways. Besides physical health is also related to psychological well-being because the human body is one interactive biological system. This paper focuses on reviewing the current state of knowledge on building sickness syndrome which has been prevalent as a building illness since the 1970s especially in offices and schools. While the concepts of intelligent, smart and sustainable buildings have gained considerable attention during recent decades, there is now increasing attention being given to designing healthy buildings. This study provides a review about SBS symptoms. Several negative effects of SBS are identified and potential solutions are advocated. Finally, the study stresses the role of built environment and concludes that ongoing research towards tackling SBS and developing healthy indoor environments should not be limited to a single formula as any health-related building design approach is dependent on several interacting factors

Cognitive Styles, Gender, and Student Academic Performance in Engineering Education

Cognitive styles affect the learning process positively if tasks are matched to the cognitive style of learners. This effect becomes more pronounced in complex education, such as in engineering. We attempted to critically assess the effect of cognitive styles and gender on students’ academic performance in eight engineering majors to understand whether a cognitive style preference is associated with certain majors. We used the Cognitive Style Indicator (CoSI) with a sample of n = 584 engineering students. Multiple standard statistical tests, regression tree analysis, and cluster analysis showed that none of the three cognitive styles was exclusively associated with better performance. However, students who had a stronger preference for a cognitive style were more likely to perform better. Gender, the major, and students’ clarity about their cognitive style were shown to be the best predictors of academic performance. Female students performed better and were clearer about their preferred cognitive style, whereas male students were more capable of adapting to different learning tasks. Furthermore, certain engineering majors were shown to be associated with certain cognitive styles. We concluded the study with theoretical and practical implications for engineering education and suggestions for further research

Hospital ward design : implications for space and privacy

This thesis examines the relationships between hospital ward design and aspects of visual privacy as a design criterion. It involves three stakeholders: users (potential and actual patients), experts and architects. In particular it explores the relationships between the spatial design of the plan configuration of buildings, in this case hospital open wards, and subjective judgments on spatial location for privacy across different demographics and cultural backgrounds. These variables are considered in the context of the current guidelines on, and regulations of, ward design criteria, and architects’ prioritisation of these criteria. Mixed methodological approaches – i.e. qualitative and quantitative methods – are employed. Space Syntax theory and its particular technique Visibility Graph Analysis (VGA) are used to quantify the spatial structure of six generic open ward types. A series of statistical analyses allowed the investigation of the relationships between measures of plan configurations and patterns of preferences in relation to beds’ spatial location for privacy assessed by means of a questionnaire. This is followed by qualitative policy analyses and semi-structured interviews with experts to provide a set of the relevant ward design criteria, which is used to conduct choice-based conjoint analysis to explore architects’ prioritisation of ward design criteria including patient’s privacy. Results showed a systematic relationship between the chosen location for privacy and spatial properties of the ward plans best represented by two measures: Integration and Control, with integration being the best predictor of preference. This was found to encompass universal preference for spatial locations of privacy across culture, age and gender and a specific significant difference as a result of previous experience of space. A reasonable awareness of the importance of patient’s privacy as a design criterion was found not only in the current guidelines and regulations on ward design but also in experts’ perception and architects’ prioritisation of ward design criteria. However, it appears that there is no framework to assess people’s privacy preference or specific information to guide architects on spatial preference. Systematic findings with respect to plan configurations are not only important in themselves, they provide the context within which detailed design choices can be made.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo