Commercial Architecture December 2017 - 14

2017 In Review

FEATURE

A pocket park created out of a tiny corner of the Boston Children's Hospital campus by Payette architects, Boston, adjoins the Mandell Building. The building is located on a dense urban site and the design team
introduced connections to nature wherever possible for patients, staff,
and visitors. Photo: © Warren Jagger Photography, courtesy Payette

Caring For Caregivers In A
Sustainable Environment
M

uch has been said about the patient experience in

panding and improving staff spaces are also strong.

healthcare settings. Until recently, less has been said

"There are many opportunities for improvement," Bak-

"For example," Guillot said, "hospitals utilize 50% more

about the caregiver experience, but that's currently changing.

er said. "If identified and prioritized from the beginning, staff

energy than a typical office building per square foot, and a

In fact, many think the two are not mutually exclusive.

space can be appropriately sized and placed."

recent report from the U.S. Department of Energy shows that

Milly Baker, AIA, LEED AP, ACHA, senior associate, Payette

A panel of architects with Tsoi/Kobus & Associates,

the average hospital spends 15% of its revenues on energy.

architects, Boston, related having managed a facilities depart-

Cambridge, MA, expanded the definition of caregiver to fam-

Therefore, the typical measures of sustainability related to

ment at a teaching hospital where it was not unusual for senior

ily members, significant others, and the clinical care team.

energy, etc. are particularly relevant. But in addition, wellness

staff with tremendous responsibility (such as an ICU nurse

"Workplace redesign addresses issues related to the chang-

principles around the sustainability of human health, hap-

manager) to have a 75-sq.-ft. windowless office on a unit with

ing dynamics of care team interaction and collaboration as

piness, and engagement are particularly important in these

inadequate team work space and depressing break space.

well as the differing needs/priorities of the multi-generational

kinds of critical environments considering not just the sustain-

"Staff are under tremendous pressure; they are caring for

workforce. Consideration for the specific and unique needs

ability of the building but of the people that occupy it. "With

families during often tragic situations where mental and phys-

of all and how these needs can be melded into a comforting,

the rapid consolidation of hospitals and healthcare systems,

ical strength and endurance are at a premium. Nurses work

comprehensive, and holistic environment positively influences

combining multiple projects and taking advantage of a range

in challenging physical environments where facilities often fall

the customer experience," the team said.

of sustainability opportunities, hospitals and healthcare sys-

short on supporting the needs of the staff," she said.

tems can have significant impact over single building projects.

SUSTAINABILITY

Energy delivery, supply chain, and other operational econo-

relationship between environmental factors and productivity.

"Hospitals have incredible potential to contribute to a more in-

mies of scale, as well as good design, can have a ripple effect

There are tremendous advantages to designing better spaces

tegrated definition of 'green', one that certainly touches the ba-

throughout the communities where these hospitals are based.

for staff in measurable gains in reducing sick days, improved

sic building-driven metrics," according to Randy Guillot, FAIA,

This also includes how sustainability can extend the life of the

job retention, and fewer mistakes. But the forces against ex-

LEED AP, firmwide health and wellness practice area leader,

health campus," Guillot said.

Baker continued, "Emerging research has quantified the

Cuisine Is A
Just The Beginning

uthenticity, the theater of food, classic materials, close

the ingredients, especially when they are paying a premium

attention to lighting details, and the location of bars and

for farm-to-table or for imports. Now it seems they also want

eateries in retail food environments are just a few of the trends
in evidence in restaurant design today.

Located on the second level of the Whole Foods Market in Pasadena,
CA, 110 & Bellevue was designed by English Design, Pasadena, and
transforms an underperforming area into a premium draw for customers from both inside and outside the store. Photo: Brian English

design director, Gensler, Chicago.

COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE

DECEMBER 2017

to see the architectural ingredients," Zinder said.
This trend, he hypothesized, could have begun as a re-

"Restaurant design is about the authenticity of materials

sponse to the economic downturn from a few years ago-

as an expression of the authenticity of food," said Clay Aurell,

exposed materials are typically a lower-cost approach to de-

AIA, principal, AB design studio, Santa Barbara, CA.

sign-and was likely supported by the increase in the popula-

In addition, operational shifts are taking place. "The

tion of diners who are millennials. Another trend observed by

restaurateurs of yesterday are moving toward a more fast-ca-

Deborah Leigh English, IIDA, CCID, D L English Design, Pasa-

sual type scene during the day while adding more table ser-

dena, CA, is the addition of bars and eateries, sometimes mul-

vice at night. This cuts down dramatically on staffing needs

tiple locations, within new and existing retail environments.

and helps a newer restaurant survive and adapt. I see adap-

Differentiated food and beverage spaces, branded in-

tation as a strong concept that helps start-up food joints get

dependently from the greater retail store, provide the retailer

through their beginning phase and into longevity," Aurell said.

and the community several distinct benefits, English noted.

Josh Zinder, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP B+C, founding prin-

"For the retailer, they act as additional revenue sources from

cipal of Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design (JZA+D),

a captive audience who comes to the location with food on

Princeton, NJ, agreed. "Whether the venue is casual or for-

their mind already, expand brand reach, and make the store

mal, quick-service or high-end dining, a growing number of

more alive by providing a gathering place for the community,"

designs are showcasing exposed and raw materials. It has

she said.

become not only acceptable to see concrete and steel, but

Relaxed, casual dining in lively, well-crafted social spaces

even fashionable, where just a few years ago the focus on

and upscale environments is increasing the preference for

design had been all about transporting patrons into a curated

today's customer. "Even in the sophisticated gastronomical

atmosphere. This trend appears to be linked to an emphasis

mecca of Paris, dining is becoming more casual and fun, less

on authenticity in the menu: patrons want to be able to taste

stuffy and refined," English observed.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Architecture December 2017