Increased numbers of returning service members from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) coincide with budgetary sequestration measures which directly impact the Department of Defense, jeopardizing available care for active duty service members and veterans.
It is understood that well-integrated passive design techniques as well as the introduction of natural elements to the medical environment encourage positive physiological responses in patients. This thesis seeks to determine the manner in which satisfactory design quality may be maintained, while energy performance and budgetary constraints may be successfully accommodated
