The Future of Medical Space Design

When it comes to finding the space for a medical practice, the trends today are quite different than a decade ago. There is more consolidating and downsizing, with more people turning to custom design to develop an office that fully fits their needs, without any wasted space.

The traditional method has been for architects to design a space with doctors then receive bids from contractors, but at businesses like Belz Architecture+Construction, the strategy is about the design-build approach. Design-build is a system of contracting under which one entity performs both the design and the construction which saves both time and cost. In a “traditional” contracting approach a client commissions an architect or engineer to prepare drawings and specifications and separately selects a construction contractor or construction manager either by negotiation or competitive bidding. A design-build team is jointly involved in producing a product that meets a client’s needs rather than merely acting as professional advisors. Collaboration of designers and builders is the foundation of design-build.

Jack Bearden, Managing Director for Design and Construction at Belz Architecture+Construction, explained that the strategy truly allows physician clients to remain focused on their work, medicine, and not have to stress over executing the design and construction process, working as a partner with physicians to manage and complete the project.

“Clients are pleasantly surprised at the delivery method. We control the budget and give them more bang for their buck by balancing the needs of a particular medical space with the funds available to construct the space,” said Bearden. “We design with the budget in mind and work backwards to provide a plan that meets the physicians particular needs.”

Another solution for medical practices to save money these days is to share a building with another practice and split the costs. While money may be the biggest motivator for construction space, it’s becoming increasingly vital to utilize sustainable practices in the building process in order to help protect natural resources, which is why Belz Architecture+Construction supports environmentally responsible building. They have six LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited professionals.

LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of sustainable and efficient buildings. In order to achieve LEED(r) Certification, buildings must meet stringent design and construction guidelines.

Belz Architecture+Construction can handle projects of any size and are experienced with multi-medical practices as well. Vital to the strategy is to design for technology and equipment considerations. For instance, they constructed the LeBonheur MEG unit, which was 5,400 square feet and equips the massive MEG device. Other recent projects include the Methodist Wound Care Center, My MD Family Medicine in Lakeland TN and the Shappley Clinic Expansion in Germantown.

If a physician practice is looking to downsize to save money but is concerned with having enough room, there is a solution. Architects can be more efficient with the space, requiring less square footage to the same equipment and office tools.

“The difference between a medical client versus a business client is that doctors know what they want,” noted Tim Garrett, Director of Architecture at Belz. “They know how many exam rooms they need; they just need assistance in how to lay it out to determine the size of space needed.”

He continued, “We know what an exam room costs, what an X-ray room and a laboratory costs. We do it every day and all under one roof.”