Often, expansion of a hospital’s physical campus means that floor plans grow deeper, placing more occupants further from windows and decreasing the amount of natural light available to patients and staff. Most would agree that this design choice is not ideal from an aesthetic standpoint, but now there is research to indicate it may also have a health impact for both patients and staff.
For example, study findings published by The Center for Health Design, Health Environments Research & Design Journal, and Environment & Behavior reveal that patients exposed to more sunlight experienced less perceived pain and had 21 percent less pain medication costs, and that hospital staff reported higher job satisfaction and missed fewer hours of work. Taking to heart the findings on the impact sunlight can have on patients and hospital staff, Cleveland Clinic Florida worked with the world-renowned architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) to maximize natural light in the new 143,000 square foot building set to open in February on the Weston Campus in Broward County.
The Egil & Pauline Braathen Center will house the expanded Pauline Braathen Neurological Center and the Cleveland Clinic Florida Cancer Center. Designers challenged industry norms by purposefully planning construction with sunlight in mind; sculpting the exterior with a composition of light and shadow, all while maximizing internal access to natural light. Through SOM’s innovative design, Cleveland Clinic Florida hopes to enhance patient and staff experience with a light-filled, functional and sustainable building.
Patient Experience
The spacious main entry to the Egil & Pauline Braathen Center is two stories high and filled with natural light. The reception areas for each floor are light-filled and located directly above the building entry to create clear way finding and orientation. The floor plan is easy to navigate through a series of pathways that connect from the reception areas all the way through the building. This layout provides vistas to the outdoors so that natural light penetrates to interior spaces, and is also flexible over time, with modular rooms and larger open spaces adjacent to the exterior.
By bringing higher levels of natural light into the new center, it is hoped that improved patient outcomes and increased patient and staff satisfaction will result. Hospitals designed to increase natural light exposure help staff and patients manage both stress and happiness levels, and likewise, correlates to reduced staff errors, absenteeism and turnover. When coupled with decreased patient stay times, these effects have the potential to impact hospital financial costs.
Sustainable Design
The facade design is derived from traditional precedents in South Florida, interpreted in a fresh way. Horizontal fins modulate solar gain while allowing for excellent views to the outdoors. Reducing the amount of direct solar gain will provide significant energy savings. The solar fins also act as light shelves, reflecting light deep into the floor. In contrast to the existing buildings on the campus, the Center will contain clear glass to enhance occupant’s connection to the environment.
Scheduled to open on Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Weston Campus in February 2015, the Egil & Pauline Braathen Center is the first step in a long-term master construction plan for the campus. Designed with patients in mind, the building will be a physical representation of Cleveland Clinic Florida’s dedication to providing the best patient care and the best patient experience from start to finish.
