Description

While the Südspidol employs a repeating same-handed room module arranged in rows to form a large structure, it interlocks them in such a way that each room is individually legible. This floor plan principle is a first hint of the importance accorded to the well-being of each patient in the design of the patient rooms.

The Südspidol Hospital in Esch-sur-Alzette in Luxembourg is designed as a new health campus. The architects responded to the need for a central facility with optimised medical processes and minimised travel distances with a series of distinct, individually differentiated building structures. Their design aims to address both the needs of the patient as well as facilitate the complex medical processes within a high-efficiency hospital.

The signature elements of the 59,380 m² hospital complex are three triangular buildings with gently curving rounded edges that through their appearance soften the hard precision of clinical processes. Although the three buildings are interconnected, each building has its own patient rooms and can therefore function as an independent unit. Instead of confronting staff, patients and visitors with a megastructure, the design aims to be relatable at a human scale. Rather than endless ward corridors, the curved building shape allows the creation of more legible circulation spaces. The entrances and nurses’ stations at the nodal points divide the wards into more manageable sections and serve as open and pleasant waiting and meeting areas for staff and visitors alike.

The approximately 550 patient rooms (of which about 80 % are single-bed rooms) are arranged along the façades. Their floor plan with the bathroom offset to one side enables them to interlock with one another to form broad sweeping rows around the perimeter of each building and tighter rings around the almost circular inner courtyard.

The geometry of the floor plan was developed according to the principles of evidence-based design and focuses on the safety and well-being of the patient. On the one hand, nursing staff have an unimpeded view of the patient from the door, and on the other hand, patients have a good view of the world outside without having to turn their head. The bathroom is located immediately to the right of the bed, the short distance minimising the risk of falls, especially for elderly patients and patients with multiple clinical conditions. At the same time, the large sliding bathroom door maximises autonomy and accessibility. Additional fixed fittings in the room have been avoided to minimise obstructions and improve ergonomics for caregivers when caring for the patient.

The use of a same-handed modular room design, i.e. with an identical floor plan, makes it possible to improve the efficiency of care processes and standardise procedures so that fewer errors can occur. A large multimedia screen on the wall opposite the bed can be used to watch TV or surf on the internet but also as a monitor for discussing treatments and diagnoses with one’s doctor during visits. The three buildings will be embedded in a park-like landscape and complemented by green inner courtyards and green roofs.

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Originally published in: Wolfgang Sunder, Julia Moellmann, Oliver Zeise, Lukas Adrian Jurk, The Patient Room, Birkhäuser, 2020.