Pair a tough economy with unclear healthcare legislation and you get healthcare building activity that is anything but well. What’s worse, the general population isn’t getting any younger and many of our nation’s facilities are out-of-date. So what gives?
As detailed by Barbara Wagner, she was the 2011 treasurer of DBIA’s Board of Directors, there are three strategies that could be just what the doctor ordered.
First, owners should think about taking a more conservative approach to updating facilities. As builders, we need to be prepared for more renovations and expansions. This saves hospitals from the high expense of new construction, while still satisfying the needs at hand. Second, there are benefits in moving smaller hospitals into larger systems. This decreases the need for new facilities while increasing a broader range of services to offer patients. And third, outpatient clinic design could be where the work is in the near future. This seems to be a natural extension of the trend toward ambulatory facilities.
As Wagner notes, changing technology and energy-efficieny objectives are driving current growth in healthcare construction. The result of such goals are healthier buildings, something we really believe in here at The Korte Company.
Moving forward, look for hospitals to continue to want to architect and incorporate best green-building practices. And therefore, the firms that are best positioned to deliver smart Design-Build are more than likely the firms that are best positioned to deliver “build smart.”
