Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Hospital Architecture: Health and Environment
Hospital Architecture: Health and Environment
3
15805
5
First semester
op
ESARQ Module
ESARQ Options
Main language of instruction: Catalan
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,
Teaching staff
Introduction
Hospital building design represents one of the greatest challenges in contemporary architecture due to its high functional, technical, and regulatory complexity. A well-planned and designed hospital should ensure operational efficiency, energy sustainability, and the safety and comfort of its users. The hospital project must provide adequate technical and aesthetic responses to this multiplicity of needs, as well as enable the adaptation of spaces to evolving healthcare models and technological-digital advancements. This ELECTIVE course aims to introduce students to the key aspects of architectural design for hospitals of the present and future, from an integrated perspective.
Teaching will be delivered by architects, engineers, and physicians with proven experience in hospital planning, design, and operational management.
Course Coordinator: Pedro Brotons, architect, professor at the UIC School of Architecture and the UIC Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Faculty: Albert Bota, engineer, Director of Infrastructure and Services at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu. Esther Calbo, MD, PhD, Dean of the UIC Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Joan Gallostra, engineer, professor at the UIC School of Architecture. Rufino Hernández, architect, AH asociados, professor at the ETS of Architecture of the University of Navarra. Patricio Martínez, architect, PMMT. Boi Ruiz, MD, PhD, Director of the UIC Master’s Degree in Healthcare Management. Gil Vinyeta, engineer, professor at the UIC School of Architecture
Pre-course requirements
No prerequisites are required. It should be noted that students will achieve greater learning outcomes if they are currently enrolled in the 5th year of the Bachelor's Degree in Architecture, although it is perfectly possible to take the course during the 4th year. This course adapts to the calendar established for the 5th year, which differs from that of the 4th year. Teaching will take place during the first semester of the academic year (September–November) across 10 sessions that will include theoretical-practical content and project workshops. Students will develop a Course Assignment to be presented during the final session.
Objectives
The objectives of the course are as follows:
- Introduce the fundamentals of planning and architectural design applied to hospital buildings.
- Analyze hospital typologies, functional programs, zoning and circulation criteria, and their implications for the organization of different areas and spaces.
- Understand the technical requirements and regulations applicable to hospital projects.
- Provide criteria for functionality, adaptability, sustainability, energy efficiency, safety, and comfort applicable to this type of building.
- Guide students in developing the preliminary design (anteproyecto) of an inpatient ward, integrating and putting into practice the knowledge acquired.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 17 - Ability to apply building and technical standards
- 34-T - Ability to design, practice and develop basic and execution projects, sketches and blueprints.
- 41-T - Ability to find solutions for passive environmental conditioning, including thermal and acoustic insulation, climate control, energy performance and natural lighting.
- 48 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the general theories of form, composition and architectural typologies
- 52 - To acquire adequate knowlege of the environment, sustainability and the principles of conserving energy and environmental resources.
- 63 - Ability to conceive, put into practice and develop architectural and urban planning projects adapting with new times.
- 66 - Ability to internalise architectural form.
- 73 - To acquire adequate knowledge of research, experimentation and innovation in architecture.
- 74 - To acquire adequate knowledge of new architectural concepts and practices.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Students are expected to develop design competencies that enable them to begin a path of specialization in hospital building design. This path could be continued through the choice of a related Undergraduate Dissertation (TFG) topic or, in the specific field of research, through the development of a doctoral thesis that delves deeper into any of the aspects of innovation introduced in the course.
Syllabus
SESSION 1. Date: 14/9
3 hours
Introduction to the Course (1 h) – Pedro Brotons Presentation. Objectives. Learning activities. Schedule. Lecture sessions. Course Assignment. Evaluation system.
Healthcare Planning and Hospital Planning (2 h) – Boi Ruiz Healthcare planning: concept, types, priority selection, objectives, and evaluation. Hospital planning. Functional Plan: core elements. Functional areas.
SESSION 2. Date: 21/9
3 hours
Hospital Typologies. Functional Program (1.5 h) – Pedro Brotons Hospital typologies. Functional program. Case studies. Inpatient ward: design guidelines.
Applicable Regulations (1.5 h) – Gil Vinyeta / Joan Gallostra Technical Building Code (Código Técnico de la Edificación). Industry-specific regulations. Practical application: fire zoning compartmentalization, evacuation routes, and protected stairwells in an inpatient ward.
SESSION 3. Date: 28/9
3 hours
Hospital Building Services (1.5 h) – Gil Vinyeta / Joan Gallostra The central role of building services in hospital operations. Central utility plant: heating and cooling production. Hospital HVAC and ventilation in critical areas: air quality and infection control. Emergency power supply and continuity of service. Practical application: real-world examples of hospital facility systems.
Project Workshop (1.5 h) – Pedro Brotons Student presentation of the site and initial conceptual proposal for the Course Assignment.
SESSION 4. Date: 5/10
3 hours
The Flexible Hospital: Parameterization (1.5 h) – Patricio Martínez Parametric design of hospitals. Massing and volumetry. Functional organization. Differentiation of access points and circulation. Practical application: examples of parametrically designed hospitals.
Project Workshop (1.5 h) – Pedro Brotons Corrections of the Course Assignment.
SESSION 5. Date: 19/10
3 hours
The Sustainable Hospital: Energy Efficiency in Construction Systems and Facilities (1.5 h) – Gil Vinyeta / Joan Gallostra Sustainability and decarbonization in healthcare. nZEB (nearly Zero Energy Building) and ZEB (Net Zero Energy Building) principles. Bioclimating design and reducing energy demand through the building envelope. Renewable energies applied to hospitals. ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) indicators and carbon footprint. Practical application: examples of hospitals incorporating nZEB strategies.
The Smart Hospital (1.5 h) – Gil Vinyeta / Joan Gallostra From the traditional hospital to the "smart hospital". Enabling technologies. Benefits, risks, and implementation challenges. Remote monitoring and telemedicine, smart patient and asset management, predictive maintenance of hospital facilities, automated logistics, and hospital robotics. Practical application: examples of smart hospitals.
SESSION 6. Date: 29/10
3 hours, including a hospital site visit
The Safe Hospital: Protection Against Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) – Esther Calbo Healthcare-associated infections (nosocomial infections). Microorganisms involved. Impact on hospital design. Environmental colonization and prevention measures. Transmission routes. Surveillance of surgical site infections and operating room circuits. Control of construction and renovations in hospital environments. Controlled environment rooms and water safety. Practical application: spaces, construction work, and infection transmission prevention at Hospital Mútua de Terrassa. Site Visit to Hospital Mútua de Terrassa Guided tour of common spaces, patient rooms, and building services floors.
SESSION 7. Date: 2/11
3 hours
Project Workshop – Pedro Brotons Corrections of the Course Assignment. SESSION 8. Date: 9/11
3 hours, including a hospital site visit
The Humanized Hospital (1.5 h) – Albert Bota The concept of humanization. Background. Design and the hospital environment. Humanization of spaces. Practical application: examples of interventions at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and the Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona. Site Visit to Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and the Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona Guided tour of common spaces, patient rooms, the "Cortex" (operations control center), building services floors, and cleanrooms for pharmaceutical production.
SESSION 9. Date: 23/11
3 hours
Project Workshop – Patricio Martínez, Pedro Brotons Corrections of the Course Assignment. SESSION 10. Date: 30/11
3 hours
Oral presentation of the Course Assignment by the student. Jury assessment – Patricio Martínez, Rufino Hernández, Pedro Brotons.– Patricio Martínez, Rufino Hernández, Pedro Brotons.
3 hours
Introduction to the Course (1 h) – Pedro Brotons Presentation. Objectives. Learning activities. Schedule. Lecture sessions. Course Assignment. Evaluation system.
Healthcare Planning and Hospital Planning (2 h) – Boi Ruiz Healthcare planning: concept, types, priority selection, objectives, and evaluation. Hospital planning. Functional Plan: core elements. Functional areas.
SESSION 2. Date: 21/9
3 hours
Hospital Typologies. Functional Program (1.5 h) – Pedro Brotons Hospital typologies. Functional program. Case studies. Inpatient ward: design guidelines.
Applicable Regulations (1.5 h) – Gil Vinyeta / Joan Gallostra Technical Building Code (Código Técnico de la Edificación). Industry-specific regulations. Practical application: fire zoning compartmentalization, evacuation routes, and protected stairwells in an inpatient ward.
SESSION 3. Date: 28/9
3 hours
Hospital Building Services (1.5 h) – Gil Vinyeta / Joan Gallostra The central role of building services in hospital operations. Central utility plant: heating and cooling production. Hospital HVAC and ventilation in critical areas: air quality and infection control. Emergency power supply and continuity of service. Practical application: real-world examples of hospital facility systems.
Project Workshop (1.5 h) – Pedro Brotons Student presentation of the site and initial conceptual proposal for the Course Assignment.
SESSION 4. Date: 5/10
3 hours
The Flexible Hospital: Parameterization (1.5 h) – Patricio Martínez Parametric design of hospitals. Massing and volumetry. Functional organization. Differentiation of access points and circulation. Practical application: examples of parametrically designed hospitals.
Project Workshop (1.5 h) – Pedro Brotons Corrections of the Course Assignment.
SESSION 5. Date: 19/10
3 hours
The Sustainable Hospital: Energy Efficiency in Construction Systems and Facilities (1.5 h) – Gil Vinyeta / Joan Gallostra Sustainability and decarbonization in healthcare. nZEB (nearly Zero Energy Building) and ZEB (Net Zero Energy Building) principles. Bioclimating design and reducing energy demand through the building envelope. Renewable energies applied to hospitals. ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) indicators and carbon footprint. Practical application: examples of hospitals incorporating nZEB strategies.
The Smart Hospital (1.5 h) – Gil Vinyeta / Joan Gallostra From the traditional hospital to the "smart hospital". Enabling technologies. Benefits, risks, and implementation challenges. Remote monitoring and telemedicine, smart patient and asset management, predictive maintenance of hospital facilities, automated logistics, and hospital robotics. Practical application: examples of smart hospitals.
SESSION 6. Date: 29/10
3 hours, including a hospital site visit
The Safe Hospital: Protection Against Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) – Esther Calbo Healthcare-associated infections (nosocomial infections). Microorganisms involved. Impact on hospital design. Environmental colonization and prevention measures. Transmission routes. Surveillance of surgical site infections and operating room circuits. Control of construction and renovations in hospital environments. Controlled environment rooms and water safety. Practical application: spaces, construction work, and infection transmission prevention at Hospital Mútua de Terrassa. Site Visit to Hospital Mútua de Terrassa Guided tour of common spaces, patient rooms, and building services floors.
SESSION 7. Date: 2/11
3 hours
Project Workshop – Pedro Brotons Corrections of the Course Assignment. SESSION 8. Date: 9/11
3 hours, including a hospital site visit
The Humanized Hospital (1.5 h) – Albert Bota The concept of humanization. Background. Design and the hospital environment. Humanization of spaces. Practical application: examples of interventions at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and the Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona. Site Visit to Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and the Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona Guided tour of common spaces, patient rooms, the "Cortex" (operations control center), building services floors, and cleanrooms for pharmaceutical production.
SESSION 9. Date: 23/11
3 hours
Project Workshop – Patricio Martínez, Pedro Brotons Corrections of the Course Assignment. SESSION 10. Date: 30/11
3 hours
Oral presentation of the Course Assignment by the student. Jury assessment – Patricio Martínez, Rufino Hernández, Pedro Brotons.– Patricio Martínez, Rufino Hernández, Pedro Brotons.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The course includes theoretical and practical learning activities (project workshop), as well as site visits to two leading university hospitals: Hospital Mútua de Terrassa and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Assessment will be continuous. Students are required to attend a minimum of 8 out of the first 9 scheduled sessions. Attendance at each session must be complete and must also include attendance at the scheduled hospital site visits (sessions 6 and 8). Otherwise, it will not be possible to pass the course. The course assessment will be based on the Course Assignment (Trabajo de Curso - TdC), which is individual. Students will deliver an oral presentation and defense of their TdC before a jury panel consisting of three members of the course's teaching team. The final course grade will be the arithmetic mean of the partial grades awarded by the three panel members. To successfully pass the course, students must meet the attendance specifications described above and obtain a minimum final grade of 5 out of 10 points. Students may sit for the second examination session (segunda convocatoria) provided that they have met the attendance requirements and have maintained continuous assessment of their TdC throughout the minimum 8 attended sessions. If these conditions are not met, the student will not be allowed to submit the TdC for the second session, and therefore no assessment will take place.
Bibliography and resources
- Hospitals. A design manual. Cor Wagenaar, Noor Mens, Guru Manja, Colette Niemeijer and Tom Guthknecht. Editorial Birkhauser Verlag AG (2008)
- Arquitectura per la Salut. CatSalut 1999-2009. Departamento de Salut. Edición Generalitat de Catalunya (2010)
- Arquitectura para la salud en América Latina. Fabio Bitencourt y Luciano Monza. Editorial Río Books (2017)
- La arquitectura del hospital II Aidhos. Alfonso Casares, Reinaldo Ruiz. Editorial Diaz de Santos (2018).
- Manual of Hospital Planning and Designing. Ajay Garg, Anil Dewan. Editorial Springer (2022)