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I was immediately immersed in master planning activities from the beginning; both in a team with Charles Cadenhead (senior medical planner) and two previous Tradewell Fellows, and in a team with Anthony Haas (senior medical planner) and another associate. I was asked to help the team prepare a three-dimensional SketchUp model, to be used at the upcoming master planning session with the client. The intention of the SketchUp model is to demonstrate to the client a more “real” experience of what the proposed building massing would entail on the site. Knowing how the model was used in the larger picture of things helped me understand master planning at a deeper level.
Master planning, I quickly realized, involves a variety of strategic and critical decisions. Many broad ideas must be considered, however, details cannot be completely ignored. Questions a master planner might ask may include:
- What are immediate needs of the hospital? What are the needs 5 years out? 10 years? 20 years?
- Will the proposed expansion limit the potential for future expansion needs? How can the site be best utilized?
- What is the vision of the clients for the future of their campus?
- What are the appropriate adjacencies in a hospital? Is the traditional method of adjacencies the most efficient way, or the way of the future?
-What are the constraints of the site? Can they be turned into opportunities?
Benchmarking, I learned, is a beneficial tool - what are other hospitals doing now, and what lessons can be learned from them? I was asked to help put together a document which organized critical information on a few hospitals, which could be used by both master planners and clients alike in making decisions. The information from these studies can help inform decisions made during master planning.
My question is: what is the best approach to decision-making in the master planning process? What information needs to be gathered to make a good decision? What questions need to be asked, and what the best time to ask those questions?
Does this sound like something you'd be interested in? Join Us. Download the application for the fellowship by clicking here.
You want to know more? Contact our 2009 Tradewell Fellow, Kelly Egdorf.
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