DESIGN 8: GENERAL HOSPITAL

INTRODUCTION

"A functional design can promote skill, economy, conveniences, and comforts; a non-functional
design can impede activities of all types, detract from quality of care, and raise costs to intolerable
levels." ... Hardy and Lammers
Hospitals are the most complex of building types. Each hospital is comprised of a wide
range of services and functional units. These include diagnostic and treatment functions, such
as clinical laboratories, imaging, emergency rooms, and surgery; hospitality functions, such as
food service and housekeeping; and the fundamental inpatient care or bed-related function.
This diversity is reflected in the breadth and specificity of regulations, codes, and oversight that
govern hospital construction and operations. Each of the wide-ranging and constantly evolving
functions

of

hospital,

including

highly

complicated

mechanical,

electrical,

and

telecommunications systems, requires specialized knowledge and expertise. No one person can
reasonably have complete knowledge, which is why specialized consultants play an important
role in hospital planning and design. The functional units within the hospital can have
competing needs and priorities. Idealized scenarios and strongly-held individual preferences
must be balanced against mandatory requirements, actual functional needs (internal traffic and
relationship to other departments), and the financial status of the organization.

DESIGN 8: GENERAL HOSPITAL

SANTA ANA HOSPITAL

PROFILE

A fully air conditioned ten stories high hospital located along New Panaderos
street in the district of Santa Ana, Manila. The hospital sits on an 8,000-square-meter lot
with a floor area of at least 5,000 square meters and has a 500-bed capacity. The opening
the hospital, constructed by the Freyssinet (F.F. Cruz) Filipino Corp., marks the fruition
of Lims vision since he became mayor in 1992, of building one city hospital giving free
medical services for the poor residents for each of Manilas six districts.

OBSERVATION
The hospital lies within a major where it can be easily accessed by prospect users. There
are separate entrances for the main hospital area, emergency room and the outpatient
department making it easy for users to go to their destination. Different areas are zoned and
placed according to their usage and service provisions. Emergency room is located at the
ground floor for immediate access; it is connected to the wards upstairs by means of a ramp.
Wards are separated by the type of patients occupying it. Theres an internal care unit (ICU)
ward, pedia ward and surgical ward segregated to each other. Surgical service and delivery
services lies on the same floor but is separated by a common space which is the stair landing on
that floor. Its hallway leading towards the wards and other rooms are wide enough for the
patients on wheels (wheelchair, wheeled-bed) and hospital equipments to be moved freely and
without obstruction. Also staircase is also wide enough to accommodate number of probable

visitors at the same time. With clear picture window for daylight lighting and for people to see
whenever theres an emergency. The hospital is well lit by artificial lighting system and natural
light is only present on the wards and not on the hallways. The hospitals faade is simple yet
embodied modernity, showing the modern capacity of the hospital in terms of its services. One
thing to point out on its faade are the windows. The windows are almost flattened to the wall
surface, plus its canopy is to small to provide shade on extreme sun and rainfall. Nonetheless,
santa ana hospital, exemplify characteristics that makes a hospital