The 2013 Building Better Healthcare Awards has opened to entries, with a record 22 prizes up for grabs.
One of five awards in the Building Design class, the Award for Best Inpatient Facility will be presented to an exemplary new-build or refurbishment project of any size that includes inpatient accommodation and has been designed to create a positive, supportive and therapeutic environment for patients, visitors/carers and staff.
This can include, but is not restricted to, acute hospitals, mental health inpatient facilities, dementia care settings etc - wherever there is provision for patients to stay in beds overnight, whether on multi-bay wards on in single-room accommodation.
We know many impressive developments have recently been completed in the field of mental health and if your scheme has inpatient beds, this is the category you should enter. If your facility is community-based and outpatient centred, then you should enter the Award for Best Community Healthcare Design
The simplicity of the courtyard landscaping and the handling of daylight is excellent, but it is the consistency of direction which lifts this building – the overall architectural diagram, the section, choice of finishes and careful detailing all contribute to a calming and therefore healing environment
When making their decision the judging panel will be looking for a facility that became fully operational between 1 January 2012 and 1 June 2013 and makes a significant contribution to the quality of the patient experience.
Your entry you will need to sum up the scheme in 500 words or less, being sure to address how it meets the criteria the judges have set out for the specific category. Click here for the criteria for this award.
For example, the design of the building must take into consideration patient safety and opportunities to improve patient care and treatment pathways. Entries should also explain how the buildings are sustainable over the longer term and how they set a precedent for the design of future healthcare facilities.
This overview of your entry is your chance to grab the attention of our judges. Therefore, failure to cover all of the points laid out in the criteria could result in your entry not making the shortlist. The judges can only make their decision based on the information you put in front of them.
Accompanying images should illustrate the issues outlined in your written submission, with actual pictures of the building in operation more readily welcomed by the judges than artists’ impressions or computer-animated drawings. Our judges are some of the most widely respected in the field of building design and the patient experience, so they will be looking closely at the overall impact the design has on the way staff, patients and visitors move around and use the building. While bold architecture and feats of engineering can undoubtedly produce buildings that make a striking impact , your entry must explain the thinking behind them and how they positively affect patients and the local environment.
It is important that the entry is completed by a senior member of the team as they are in the best position to describe the benefits and the thinking behind the project
Building Better Healthcare editor, Jo Makosinski, said: “The 500-word overview of your scheme is your first and only chance to grab the attention of our judges. Therefore, failure to cover all of the points laid out in the criteria could result in last-minute requests for further information or clarification, or your entry not making it through to the finals. The judges can only make their decision based on the information you put in front of them.
“It is also important that the entry is completed by a senior member of the team as they are in the best position to describe the benefits and the thinking behind the project. In addition, entries need to be clearly written and succinct, dealing only with the details and impact of the development and how it will demonstrate improvements on what is currently available. This should be supported by genuine comments from patients and clinicians. If these guidelines are followed then the judges will have sufficient information on which to make an informed decision.”
Last year the Award for Best Inpatient Facility was won by The Dyson Centre for Neonatal Health at the Royal United Hospital Bath.
The judges praised the way the design of the building was rooted in a positive and determined attitude from both client and designers towards the opportunities for architecture to make a contribution to healthcare, and that this attitude had informed every design decision.
They also recognised the extensive consultation carried out among staff, parent groups and other key stakeholders throughout the process – a consideration they will be expecting to see in all successful entries this year also.
Sarah Waller, head judge in the Patient Environment class, said: “We will want to see evidence that this inpatient facility has been designed following significant consultation with stakeholders. There should have been dialogue from very early on in the design process with patients, their families and with staff and clinical representatives and we will want to see both evidence of this happening and that the designers have taken the points made on board and included them in the final project.”
We will want to see evidence that this inpatient facility has been designed following significant consultation with stakeholders. There should have been dialogue from very early on in the design process with patients, their families and with staff and clinical representatives and we will want to see both evidence of this happening and that the designers have taken the points made on board and included them in the final project
The Dyson Centre stood out from the crowd last year because from the very beginning the team wanted to create a unit that was both sustainable and marked a fundamental and bold change in the physical environment from which care is delivered. Such a flagship facility is once again what the judges will be looking for from the 2013 winner.
The judges said of last year’s winner: “There are particular moments of delight, such as the bay window in each room, which are designed to provide a contemplative place to sit.
“The simplicity of the courtyard landscaping and the handling of daylight is excellent, but it is the consistency of direction which lifts this building – the overall architectural diagram, the section, choice of finishes and careful detailing all contribute to a calming and therefore healing environment.”
Do you think you have a project that could qualify for the Award for Best Inpatient Facility ? If so, click here to read more about this year’s event and all the categories, and to submit your entry. The closing date is 28 June and each entry costs just £99 plus VAT. You can enter as many categories as you wish, but entries must be adapted to suit the particular category being entered.
Click here to see all the winners from 2012 and the reasons they were singled out for praise by our judges.
If you need further help or advice on your entry call Jo Makosinski on 020 7193 8083 or email jom@hpcimedia.com. There are also some exciting opportunities to sponsor awards and to exhibit at the champagne reception that will be held prior to the awards ceremony. To discuss a tailor-made package, or to book your seat at the ceremony, contact Stephen Fontana by email at stephenf@hpcimedia.com or call 020 7193 1641; or Ali Badr alib@hpcimedia.com or call 020 7193 6654.
Best of luck!