Healthcare design is in a state of evolution. According to Healthcare Design Magazine, “evidence-based design supports a strong connection between patients’ comfort in the healthcare setting and how it positively affects (their recovery time) and therapeutic advances.” That’s a powerful statement—one that healthcare designers are taking very seriously. The challenge for designers is to strike a balance between function and aesthetics.
First and foremost, the new direction for healthcare settings is embracing residential warmth. The hospitality industry originated this “home away from home” idea and it has been a successful direction. Borrowing from that trend, healthcare is moving away from the traditional clinical designs in favor of more homey, familiar environments for patients. The balance that needs to be struck is making the patient as comfortable as possible while still providing an efficient (and as sterile as possible) care model. So how, exactly, is that to be accomplished? Several important micro-trends are moving to the forefront of healthcare design to attain that goal: