The pandemic resilient hospital

As the SARS-CoV-2 virus has killed more than 1.5 million people globally and has sent many more to hospital care, the pandemic has also brought with it the unintended consequences of deferring people from seeking care, temporarily shuttering surgery centers, and causing many hospitals to implement wide layoffs, furloughs, or even shut down. 

With infectious diseases increasingly likely to arise and become more widespread in the future due to climate migration and the growing spread of zooanotic diseases, Arup and architecture firm HKS have released “The Pandemic-Resilient Hospital: How Design Can Help Facilities Stay Operational and Safe.” Featuring insights from an interdisciplinary team of architects, engineers, clinicians, and medical planners assembled by HKS and Arup, the report explores how hospital systems can create a flexible and resilient hospital campus that addresses the needs for both infectious disease care and overall healthcare priorities amid pandemics. 

The report aims to help healthcare facilities think through their current approach and priorities, as well as future renovations and new construction. Intended for hospital executives, facility directors, planners and designers, the report provides facility investment considerations that healthcare professionals can utilize when designing spaces to address the current pandemic as well as consider for increased resilience for the future.