Mock-ups drive innovative design for South Niagara Hospital
What goes into making sure a hospital is designed the right way for generations to come? Partnership, feedback and fine tuning is key. That’s why room mock-ups are such a critical part of the design development process for the new South Niagara Hospital, currently under construction in Niagara Falls.
It’s all in the details
These spaces are full-scale model replicas of hospital rooms, surgical suites and other areas created to simulate the actual medical environment before construction is complete.
Mock-ups like these allow project partners to test and refine the layout, functionality, and overall usefulness of the space before becoming a reality inside the new hospital. What kind of window blinds would work best? Which direction should a door handle swing in a patient room? Mock-ups are built to scale with real furniture, fixtures, and equipment, so that hospital staff and partners can walk through and provide feedback on these kinds of important design decisions.
Why are mock-up spaces used on a healthcare project ?
Mock-ups help ensure the final design is both functional and patient-friendly.
Various stakeholders, including medical staff, patient partners, and hospital administrators have toured the spaces and provided input so far. “These spaces make sure we get it right,” said Valeria Blyth-Collins, Senior Project Manager. “They help ensure the design meets the needs of the people who will be using the space every day, and make it easy to identify potential workflow issues or patient comfort concerns.”
Plus, mock-ups support cost efficiency by making it easy to identify design issues early on, ideally preventing delays and costly changes during construction. .
Take a look inside for a sneak peek!
Questions about the South Niagara Hospital Project? Visit our project page to learn more.