The very best healthcare architecture from around the world will be showcased in the UK at this year’s Building Better Healthcare Awards .
For the second year running there is an award celebrating the impact of architecture from other countries and recognising the potential this could have for informing future designs in the UK.
One of five awards in the Building Design class, the Award for International Healthcare Design will be presented to an exemplary new-build or refurbishment project of any size that is located outside of the UK and creates a positive, supportive and therapeutic environment for patients, visitors/carers and staff.
This can include, but is not restricted to, major acute hospitals, community health centres, dental practices, specialist medical facilities, and doctors’ surgeries. The building must be based outside of the UK, but can have been built by architects based in any country, including the UK.
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
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, both in the country they are based and further afield.
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.
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.
When patients are suffering from infectious diseases they are often confined to their rooms with little contact with other people and the outside, so the transparency the building offers helps them to feel contact with the world around 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 International Healthcare Design was presented to the Emergency and infectious diseases unit at Skane University Hospital in Malmo, Sweden.
Designed by C F Moller Architects, the landmark building is circular in shape as, according to research, this offers the best logistics to prevent the spread of infection. This consideration of the patient experience, health outcomes and design-led innovation were key to its success in last year’s competition. The judges also commented favourably on how the design team had introduced natural light and well-thought-out interiors despite the need for patients to be housed in isolation.
The judges added: “This is quite a neat building with nice details. When patients are suffering from infectious diseases they are often confined to their rooms with little contact with other people and the outside, so the transparency the building offers helps them to feel contact with the world around them.”
Do you think you have a project that could qualify for the Award for Best International Healthcare Design ? 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!
