A building’s façade is one of its most vital elements providing safety and comfort to the occupants. A façade is more than an aesthetic tool; it is an excellent opportunity for designers and architects to experiment and showcase their design capabilities and skills. Façade plays a crucial role in enhancing occupant comfort by regulating indoor temperature. The cost of these projects might shoot up depending on our comfort goals, design requirements and the construction material used. This is where smart façade design comes in where one can extract the best functionality from their façade without massive expenditure.
Smart façade design for hospitals provides both tangible and intangible benefits. Low consumption of raw materials, reduction in energy consumption, and operation and maintenance costs are some of the visible benefits. On the other hand, the intangible benefits include better support for patients’ recovery, stress management, and an improvement in the overall healthcare environment. These outcomes can be attained as a result of thermal and acoustic comfort, as well as physical and visual connections to the natural environment.
The fundamental functions expected of a façade in hospitals are:
Regarding the façade and fenestration design, there are some key focus areas that need to be worked upon to keep people comfortable inside the structure. The overall elevation has to be created in a way that lends the building an inviting appearance while also inspiring confidence and hope in the patients. One of the most crucial functions of a building’s façade is to block out the sun’s heat in the summer while retaining warmth during the winter. The elevation has to be symmetrically designed to provide the hospitals with a confident outlook while also giving the building a bold and assertive appearance. Functionality must be of greater importance than aesthetics.
Façades should take the following aspects into account to ensure a productive and healthy environment:
1. Daylighting: Exposure to natural illumination has proven to have positive health effects. A building’s entrances, windows, curtain walls, roof glazing, and light shelves can all be combined by the architect to let more light in and obfuscate the boundary between inside and outside.
2. Air quality: Windows can offer adjustable ventilation in addition to mechanical systems to enhance interior air quality, which boosts comfort.
3. Accessibility: Ensuring accessibility in entrance systems entails the provision of sufficient, clear openings, removal of obstacles, correct positioning of operators, and provision of power support.
4. Security and protection: The façade’s components must be carefully planned to offer better protection to the interior. Security can be effectively used to monitor entrances, exits, and parking lots through this improved natural surveillance and line of sight.
5. More environmentally friendly materials- Major hospital projects, especially those in the public sector, must set an example when it comes to environmental issues including waste from construction, the depletion of natural resources, and the carbon footprint of the built environment. Working with the supply chain to guarantee that construction items and systems are made ethically from sustainably derived resources is a crucial component of this.
