Regeneration Entities for Functional Flow And Attributes Considering Viral Behavior: A Direction Towards the Post-COVID Health Space Design

Image: Medical College and Hospital Design Project, Muhammad Golam Sami & Mahmuda Yasmin Dola'2022

1. Space-Specific Resiliency

The first step is to identify and assess space-specific requirements. Design resilience entails utilizing all available areas in healthcare facilities. The operating area, foyer, corridor, patient room, and waiting zone are all well-designed. Each of these sections serves a different role and must be ensured. The graphic below depicts a post-pandemic hospital's significantly adjusted people movement and zoning.

A gray dotted line represents the outpatient controlling screen in the patient flow from the outer zone to the second zone and from the second zone to the inner zone, and a yellow dotted line represents one method of controlling the patient flow. One of its design options is to construct one-way rooms and corridors. One-way corridors, similar to a retail chain's one-way aisle, can dramatically lower the viral and pathogen transmission danger. This method not only inhibits airborne transmission but also minimizes dispersal flow and human-to-human contact, as well as the unidirectional flow surface transmission.

In a hospital, for example, when doctors and personnel change their PPE, having a separate outlet prevents the pathogenic fabric from entering the container. As a result, through unidirectional flow, viral activity can be altered and mitigated. As a result, unidirectional flow might be considered one method of eradicating viral activity. Even if we don't use this example, we need to develop a protocol and policy for room design that allows for separate exit designs to keep our unidirectional flow.

The above diagram (Fig-2) shows the separate exit flow of a unidirectional hospital.

Second, space flexibility has increased the demand for COVID-19 healthcare facilities so that spaces can be altered to meet a surge of patients that exceeds average capacity. One of the goals is to improve the area's use by enhancing patient handling capacity with the unidirectional flow of space. As the epidemic develops, hospitals worldwide have converted their usual patient rooms into separate rooms with negative pressure to accommodate COVID-19 patients and help avoid virus infections. Prioritizing the many facilities to satisfy the requirement to enlarge the hospital's core will be a priority in the future as they plan for future health problems. While some hospitals may transfer patients to an ambulatory care facility, other possibilities include re-applying to non-clinical and previous clinical sectors. Whatever method is chosen, it is critical to consider how the space can be used or changed. The requirement for advanced decision-making regarding design and material selection while keeping surge capacity in mind, will pave the road for a speedy and smooth transformation.

Third, design resilience entails ensuring that each area is insured in accordance with healthcare facility criteria and with minimal interference. Operating Room, Hallway, Patient Room, and Waiting Area - Each has a distinct role as well as distinct performance and maintenance requirements. While areas must be prepared to accommodate future growth, selecting the appropriate material for each site is equally critical - it will provide nursing support and a healing atmosphere for patients. With a single source provider supplying a system of products to satisfy space-specific demands, facilities can simplify the associated procurement process.

2. Attributes and Objective Towards Investigation

Our Goal for this project is to establish a post-pandemic hospital on an institutional basis ( medical college). Fig 3 shows how hospitals function as an institution.

Fig 3 shows the primary attributes of a post-pandemic institutional hospital, including post-pandemic requirements, general requirements, safety guidance, and chronology of medical departments.

On the other hand, the hospital zone relationship described the newly modified zoning and accessibility for a proper hospital run.

The post-pandemic-based general circulation and functional flow diagrams will help us to find the right direction for designing a post-pandemic-based hospital.

Meet The AuthorS

Muhammad Golam Sami

B. Arch, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Khulna, Bangladesh Architect | Futurist | Sustainable Design Expert

Operational Head, ADORA Studios, Bangladesh

Founder, samism.org

Lecturer, Department of Architecture

Northern University of Business & Technology

Mahmuda Yasmin Dola

B. Arch, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Khulna, Bangladesh Architect | Analytical Practitioner

Head of Construction, ADORA Studios, Bangladesh

CMO & Head of Construction, SS Construction & Power Solution, Bangladesh

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Related PROJECTS

Post-pandemic Hospital & Institutional Design: New Modern Medical College & 250 Bed Hospital, Khulna

The hospital, one of the riskiest areas of viral transmission and a backbone for pandemic curing needs to be redefined with new spatial principles. On the other hand, redesigning institutional programs and syntax will help us to better understand the relationship between public and private space according to proper health design requirements. According to WHO, environmental aspects are one of the vital reasons for the increasing percentage of curability of patients.

Image: Hospital and Medical College Design Project

Location: Chak Ashankhali, Khulna; Year: 2022