610
Summary: Objectives
Also, these activities interfere to various degrees with medical and
administrative activities; that is, they affect the total efficiency of the
hospital. Furthermore, the more difficult it is to alter an existing
configuration, the less likely that useful alteration will be undertaken, thus
forcing staff to work under increasingly inefficient conditions. These
considerations are primary design determinants, placing high priority on
simplicity, adaptability and access.
614.2
IMPROVED PERFORMANCE
As noted above (Section 612.6), many aspects of a building's
performance are not determined by the characteristics of any one
component, but rather by the combined effect of certain sets of
components. The development of the Prototype Design has proceeded
from an analysis of these relationships, not so much to raise existing
performance standards as to establish basic standards of coordination
and thus assure that, whatever standards are applied by the VA, desired
performance levels can be realistically achieved and maintained under
field conditions. The A/E must preserve and exploit this precoordination in
his detailed design if user needs are to be effectively satisfied.
614.3
ADAPTABILITY
614.3.1
Prevention of Obsolescence
By far the most critical aspect of building performance to be improved
through systems integration is adaptability. Adaptability is critical not only
because of the cost considerations mentioned above, but also because of
the very rapid rate at which technical and administrative obsolescence can
overtake any design configuration, no matter how carefully planned.
Mission and program requirements are changing so rapidly, in fact, that
hospitals are frequently referred to as obsolete the day they open their
doors.
614.3.2
Options for Opening Configuration
One purpose of system adaptability is to allow the widest possible range
of design configurations so that the particular demands of each site and
program can be met on their own terms, without unnecessary additional
constraints due to system limitations. The Prototype Design, in particular
the planning discipline, has been developed to provide this versatility.
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