Latest News from WorldHealthDesign.com

World Health Design July issue published

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 12:11:10 GMT

The July issue of World Health Design has been published, and features:

The Design & Health Academy Award winners
Preview of the Preliminary Programme of the 7th Design & Health World Congress
Preview of Design & Health Europe 2010
A Project Report on a new distinctive identity for the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center
A scientific review of the contribution of design to patient safety in the operating theatre
A market report on recent US healthcare developments
A project report on health facilities for children and their families
A scientific review of same-handed patient rooms and mirror-image rooms.
Technology reports including a user-friendly integrated operating theatre, a sleep sofa designed for the small footprint in patient rooms, a tree planter for rooftops and streetscapes and a hospital ward for dementia patients

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Academy's global message goes local

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 11:55:44 GMT

The delivery of the International Academy for Design & Health’s global message, that environmental design needs to be given wider recognition as a context for human health, wellbeing and quality of life, has this year successfully gone local.

The network’s global reach has extended rapidly in 2010 as a new series of international symposiums, designed to promote understanding of the global issues of design and health within the local context of health infrastructure planning, finance, design, construction and management, have been launched to great acclaim all around the world.

In late April, the Academy’s network came together in Sydney at Design & Health Australasia 2010. And in early June, in Toronto, speakers and delegates gathered at Design & Health Canada 2010, which also hosted the 2010 Academy Awards and Gala Dinner.

At both events, speakers all over the world blended with experts from the local region, to debate a range of topics that examined new health perspectives and theories, such as salutogenesis, health planning models, patient environments and ward design, research and evidence-based design, as well as demonstrating case studies of some of the most influential healthcare projects recently completed.

Nicola Bertrand (pictured left), an architect with BVN in Australia, who attended the event in Sydney, commented: ”The conference clarified for me the importance for all stakeholders to work closely together right from the beginning of a project.

"There is a need for us as architects to work more closely with hospital administrators and health professionals both at a bureaucratic and a clinical level in order to achieve design excellence.”

One of the highlights of the Sydney symposium was a pro-con debate on single versus multi-bed rooms. Mike Nightingale (pictured above right), who chaired the debate, said that patient needs were evolving so fast that ways needed to be found to design new and refurbished environments that were able to change from between 50% and 100% single rooms, or create the advantages of single rooms in other ways.

Later in the year, the Academy will launch Design & Health Europe in Brussels, from 7-8 October (see p11), to be followed by Design & Health Middle East 2010 in Abu Dhabi in December.

Click here to read more about past and future international symposiums organised by the International Academy for Design & Healt.

Eb Zeidler recognised for a lifetime of leadership

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 11:48:45 GMT

Eb Zeidler (pictured right) has been awarded the Lifetime Leadership Award by the International Academy for Design & Health at a prestigious ceremony held at the University of Toronto in Canada.

Awarded for the first time to a visionary individual who has demonstrated an ongoing, lifelong commitment to enhancing the health, wellbeing and quality of people’s lives through their dedication to healthcare design, the award recognises Zeidler’s inspirational career, which has influenced many of today’s architects who are shaping the next generation of hospitals.

Click here to read mor.

Academy Award winners set new benchmarks

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 11:39:40 GMT

A diverse set of winners from across the globe, including an arts, culture and heritage centre in South Africa, a children’s rehabilitation unit in Mexico, a mixed-gender inpatient facility for adults with acute mental illness in the UK, a digital arts programme and a commode, led the celebrations at the prestigious Design & Health International Academy Awards in Toronto, Canada on 9 June.

Presented by Dr Ray Pentecost (pictured), president of the American Institute of Architects, Academy of Architecture for Health on the final evening of the Design & Health Canada 2010 International Symposium, 22 awards were made across 12 categories to winning projects and teams.

Chaired by John Wells-Thorpe, an architectural writer and historian and former chair of an NHS Trust, the awards were judged by some of the leading researchers and practitioners in the field.

Prof Alan Dilani, director general of the International Academy for Design & Health, commented: “We have been honoured this year with a remarkable set of winners, providing inspiration to future generations and demonstrating the importance of design as a tool for improving human health, wellbeing and quality of life.”

Click here to view the winning schems

Australasian infrastructure given global perspective

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 08:18:17 GMT

Design & Health Australasia 2010, an International Symposium, Exhibition and Gala Dinner taking place from 29-30 April at the Hilton Hotel, Sydney, is open for registration.

As significant capital funds continue to be invested into health infrastructure in Australia, New Zealand and the region as a whole, Design & Health Australasia 2010 will explore global health perspectives on the planning, procurement, finance, design, construction and operation of health facilities within the local context of infrastructure development in the region.

The symposium will discuss how new approaches to providing Australasia with a more cost-effective context for enhancing human health, wellbeing and quality of life.

Adopting a holistic approach that recognises the modern day challenges of health delivery, the symposium will appeal to an interdisciplinary mix of researchers and practitioners from government, academia, health and social care providers, and private industry.

Aims and Objectives

To report and evaluate different international models of care, and the latest health theories and perspectives
To reflect on the socio-economic factors impacting on the design and development of health infrastructure in Australasia including demographic change, medical technology, patient choice and cost
To report on case studies of healthcare buildings that are delivering real and measurable benefits in the region and globally
To recommend actions and initiatives to improve the design quality and operational management of the health infrastructure
To explore how to create a sustainable infrastructure that supports human health, wellbeing and quality of life and meets the regions social, environmental and economic goals

For more information and to register, click here.