510
Generalized Needs and Requirements: Hospital Requirements
513.4.3
Building Height Limitations
The building system should accommodate a reasonable range of building
heights.
Height is a function of site size and site utilization. It is also often
influenced by administrative policies such as the distribution of supplies or
by medically desirable relationships. There currently is a trend to optimize
horizontal relationships between nursing and non-nursing units. The
resulting buildings do not often exceed nine stories in height. In large
vertical hospitals, however, where distribution centers are stacked, a
height in excess of nine stories is sometimes necessary.
From the VA projects examined to date, there is no apparent
disadvantage in limiting the height of the system to nine stories. It is
recognized, however, that in a minority of cases, an extremely small site
would necessitate a taller structure.
513.4.4
Materials-Handling and Transportation
1. The building system should allow the widest possible options in the
selection of materials handling and transportation systems.
Furthermore, an ability to accommodate a change or an addition to
these systems should be provided where possible, i.e., it should allow
the introduction of horizontal and vertical distribution systems either in
initial construction or as a subsequent addition.
A survey of available materials handling systems indicates the
following example characteristics which should be accommodated
within the building system. Such accommodation must also include
acoustical characteristics, effect on sensitive electronic equipment,
e.g., electron microscopes, and constraints on future adaptability.
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