Arup has completed over 2,500 healthcare projects worldwide and has more than 40 years' experience in this sector.
Healthcare for Arup is not just about building better hospitals or engineering the finest therapeutic facilities. Its multidisciplinary teams are also focused on providing technical, design and business solutions to enhance patient wellbeing, staff effectiveness and the success of private and public healthcare organisations alike.
Changing needs and innovations
New technologies and medical advances are driving massive change in healthcare provision. At the same time, societies face new challenges from ageing populations, increased lifestyle diseases and drug-resistant infections.
With so many factors driving change, Arup's approach is to equip healthcare providers to manage an uncertain future. Its approach focuses on differing health needs according to region, from high-tech facilities such as the Kaiser Santa Clara Hospital in California, to capital works projects for water, wastewater and power that improve community outcomes as for the Derby Indigenous Health Service in Australia.
Therapeutic environments
Arup has the range of skills and services to help healthcare providers create new models of care and flexible therapeutic environments. These take into account the latest thinking in acoustics and lighting aimed at speeding patients' recovery.
Practical ways in which Arup is improving healthcare environments worldwide include turning research into simple building design solutions that can minimise the airborne spread of infections, microfluidics analysis to streamline drug delivery, and passive natural ventilation resulting in healthier wards.
Sustainability and whole life costing
Although hospitals have high energy demands and operate around the clock, Arup is also addressing the need to reduce carbon emissions in hospitals by designing for greater efficiency in operation and looking at areas such as procurement and logistics too. The distinctive façade of the Richard Desmond Children’s Eye Centre in London overtly demonstrates the value Arup added in innovative shading solutions that reduce energy needs. Designing buildings for whole life cost viability draws on its expertise in advising on optimum building size, shape, plan and orientation on the site.
Arup's acknowledged experience in UK private finance initiative (PFI) projects has led to its advising on projects internationally including many in Spain such as the Hospital de Majadahonda. Its specialists understand the important issues facing healthcare providers and its innovative approaches improve outcomes for patients worldwide.