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The current pandemic has highlighted the essential role - and tremendous pressure – that healthcare systems face to deliver quality and efficient care. By bringing together government bodies and the private sector, public-private partnerships can help create more value for patients and the local communities working to strengthen their healthcare offering.
In Poland, we worked with InterHealth Canada and the Zywiec district government to deliver the country’s first Public Private Partnership hospital. The original Habsburg era hospital provided healthcare to more than 150,000 residents in the district for over a century, but conditions had deteriorated from decades of use.
Upon advice from Poland’s Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, and following a selection process, the Zywiec district government chose InterHealth Canada to develop a new healthcare facility that would replace the existing, outdated hospital. Arup was appointed to provide a range of multidisciplinary design services including structural, mechanical, electric and public health design, together with solid project and cost management to meet the strict requirements of a PPP. We also delivered the architectural design alongside N+ Parametric Design.
With ultimate capacity for 340 short-term and 40 long-term patients, the new hospital includes an Emergency Room, Surgery, Rehabilitation, Diagnostics and Gynaecology units, and is serviced by a helipad for patient transfer.
Project Summary
380 beds ultimate capacity
5operating theatres
23,141m² total surface
Eagerly awaited by staff, patients, and locals alike, the new hospital brings next-generation healthcare to the region, offering bright rooms with private bathrooms and large windows that allow access to natural light, which can help support the recovery process. Upon completion, the hospital will run five operating theatres.
“The construction of a new hospital is a breakthrough for Zywiec region. The new facility - based on new technologies and endowed with the highest quality equipment and a reliable management system - will best serve both our patients and our medical staff. ” Andrzej Kalata Zywiec District Head
Healthcare PPP: Cost-effective design
Arup was approached by the client to redesign and manage the project after a separate initial design cost exceeded the budget. The challenge for our team was to design and deliver a project within budget and with the potential to meet financial obligations throughout the first 30 years of operations.
Our engineers transformed the initial design into a more cost-effective scheme while respecting the required European and global standards by means of value engineering principles such as reducing the size of the hospital and increasing the number of beds in some rooms without compromising on ventilation and air-conditioning.
To improve budget management, our cost specialists segmented the project into phases, which helped to optimise construction and operations costs.
Digital tools – BIM insights
Digital tools were a key component in the delivery of the project – from the concept design, to MEP and structural designs. Our engineers used Building Information Modelling (BIM) to develop an intelligent model of the facility. This 3D model brought greater precision to the project's feasibility, cost and schedules and helped the project team understand the implications of their choices, constraints and emerging opportunities.The 3D model, which will now be used for facility management throughout the hospital’s lifecycle, facilitated communication with the client’s global team and provided all stakeholders with greater insight regarding design performance, bringing greater alignment and informing the decision-making process. were a key component in the delivery of the project – from the concept design, to MEP and structural designs.
The previous hospital footprint encompassed a number of buildings set across several floors, including some without lifts, forcing medical staff to walk several kilometres a day to access services and facilities. Using our BIM model, our team drew up a more functional design that minimises foot traffic, enhances communication between medical teams and optimises their work.
“Arup’s multidisciplinary team combines technical and design skills with project and cost management capabilities to help deliver Poland’s first PPP hospital, unlocking long-term social value for patients and the local community. ”
Tomasz Frej Associate, Arup
Safeguarding the right recovery environment
A hospital’s internal air quality, temperature and humidity are essential aspects that can severely impact patients’ health, particularly in surgery rooms, where temperatures need to be sustained at 24 degrees.
Zywiec Hospital's heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) design developed by our team received a distinction at PASCAL 2021 awards, which promote innovative ideas and cutting-edge solutions in HVAC.
Working with a Medical Technician to ensure the best air quality while optimising costs, our team grouped hospital areas according to functional needs. Particularly sensitive sections such as the Emergency Room have been equipped with the most robust HVAC systems with special filters to meet all the relevant sanitary requirements. In patient rooms, halls and administration facilities, we designed a combination of mechanical and isothermal ventilation systems, which maintain temperatures between 22 and 24 degrees in winter and at 24 degrees in the summer despite the hotter weather.
To ensure the continuity of mission-critical systems like HVAC, our team designed back-ups for key devices such as ventilators and heat pumps, ensuring the systems can operate without interruptions even during maintenance and repair works.
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