by Katharine Logan
The Alberta Children's Hospital (ACH), designed by Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd., sets a new standard for family-centered care in a state-of-the-art pediatric care and infection-control facility. The 70,000-square-meter (750,000-square-foot) facility serves as the hub of the Alberta Children's Healthcare Network.
Delivered ahead of schedule and under budget, the success of the ACH project derives from a collaborative approach that involved health care providers, hospital user groups, construction management representatives and contractors, patients' families, and children themselves.
Kasian's healthcare designers have found from previous projects that the sheer complexity of the medical environment — with its advanced technology, wide range of medical procedures, and constant change — means extra benefits from an integrated design approach.
Rather than encumbering the design process, the integration of stakeholders' perspectives builds a level of trust and shared commitment. This often translates into an accelerated schedule or increased public and user satisfaction with a project.
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