Sunday, October 3, 2010
Post 7
Here are some incredible photos by Ashley Gilbertson, a New York-based photojournalist, of he Maimonides Medical Center Emergency Department in Brooklyn, New York.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Post 5
1 + 3 + 9 = 13 … or maybe more ...
Architecture should be used as medicine (aka Medicinal Architecture).
Over the past hundred years, both the practice of medicine and the practice of architecture have made great technological advancements. However, these two fields have coevolved virtually independent of each other only crossing over where necessity requires interaction. Yet as we, as a nation, begin to re-examine the issue of public health, each field could learn much from the other.
If we begin to think about medicine, the central unit of concern is the patient. Each patient has a particular set of needs that must be meeting. The most obvious among them is their medical needs; however they also include environmental needs, social needs, spiritual needs, political needs, etc. Too often the medicine needs trump the others, and those basic needs will not be meet sufficiently. This I argue, actually does more harm to the process of recover then it does facilitate a return to a regular lifestyle for that individual. The built environment that surrounds a patient can be as important to their recovery as any single treatment that they receive. So, I propose the solution can be found in re-evaluating how architecture and medicine interact with each other. While medicine can deal with the physiological needs of a patient, architecture can be the means to addressing those “other” needs. By bring the two field closer we create a more holistic approach to patient care, and it turn expedite the recover process.
One of the fields of medicine that can benefit most from this marriage of architecture and medicine is the field of Emergency Medicine. Emergency Medicine is very young, only 50 -60 years old at most. Over this time period, however it has quickly evolved into the key means for addressing acute illness and injury. Studies have shown us that quality of the initial care given to an individual has direct impacts on the patient’s overall recover. In an in-hospital setting, emergency medicine is realized through the Emergency Department. In the out of hospital setting it takes the form Emergency Medical Services, or EMS. These units work in tandem to provide initial treatment, and then definitive care. The question then arises, how does architecture play a role in this process? Is architecture simply the means to shelter and enclosure for those giving and receiving medical care? Can it, or should it do more? At very least it should provide a benign environment, but too often poorly designed spaces actually harm the process of recover. This may sound obvious, but Health Care Providers are good at the medicine and not the architecture, and visa versa with the Architects. If these two fields begin to works in tandem, like the EMS and the Emergency Department, then we can begin to provide that holistic approach to the patient.
Architecture should be used as medicine (aka Medicinal Architecture).
Over the past hundred years, both the practice of medicine and the practice of architecture have made great technological advancements. However, these two fields have coevolved virtually independent of each other only crossing over where necessity requires interaction. Yet as we, as a nation, begin to re-examine the issue of public health, each field could learn much from the other.
If we begin to think about medicine, the central unit of concern is the patient. Each patient has a particular set of needs that must be meeting. The most obvious among them is their medical needs; however they also include environmental needs, social needs, spiritual needs, political needs, etc. Too often the medicine needs trump the others, and those basic needs will not be meet sufficiently. This I argue, actually does more harm to the process of recover then it does facilitate a return to a regular lifestyle for that individual. The built environment that surrounds a patient can be as important to their recovery as any single treatment that they receive. So, I propose the solution can be found in re-evaluating how architecture and medicine interact with each other. While medicine can deal with the physiological needs of a patient, architecture can be the means to addressing those “other” needs. By bring the two field closer we create a more holistic approach to patient care, and it turn expedite the recover process.
One of the fields of medicine that can benefit most from this marriage of architecture and medicine is the field of Emergency Medicine. Emergency Medicine is very young, only 50 -60 years old at most. Over this time period, however it has quickly evolved into the key means for addressing acute illness and injury. Studies have shown us that quality of the initial care given to an individual has direct impacts on the patient’s overall recover. In an in-hospital setting, emergency medicine is realized through the Emergency Department. In the out of hospital setting it takes the form Emergency Medical Services, or EMS. These units work in tandem to provide initial treatment, and then definitive care. The question then arises, how does architecture play a role in this process? Is architecture simply the means to shelter and enclosure for those giving and receiving medical care? Can it, or should it do more? At very least it should provide a benign environment, but too often poorly designed spaces actually harm the process of recover. This may sound obvious, but Health Care Providers are good at the medicine and not the architecture, and visa versa with the Architects. If these two fields begin to works in tandem, like the EMS and the Emergency Department, then we can begin to provide that holistic approach to the patient.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Post 3
1 + 3 + 9 = 13?
Architecture can be used as medicine (Medicinal Architecture).
Over the past hundred years, both the practice of medicine and the practice of architecture have made great technological advancements. These two fields have coevolved virtually independent of each other. Yet as we begin to reexamine the issue of public health, each field could learn much from the other.
If we begin to think about medicine, the central unit of concern is the patient. Each patient has a particular set of needs that must be meet. The most obvious among them is their medical needs; however they also include environmental needs, social needs, spiritual needs, political needs, etc. Too often the medicine needs will surmount the others, and those other needs will not be meet sufficiently. This I argue, actually does more harm to the process of recover then it does facilitate a return to a regular lifestyle for that individual. The built environment that surrounds a patient can be as important to their recovery as any single treatment that they receive. So, I propose the solution can be found in the merging of architecture and medicine. While medicine can deal with the physiological needs, architecture can be the means to addressing those “other” needs of a patient. By bring the two field closer we create a more holistic approach to patient care
Architecture can be used as medicine (Medicinal Architecture).
Over the past hundred years, both the practice of medicine and the practice of architecture have made great technological advancements. These two fields have coevolved virtually independent of each other. Yet as we begin to reexamine the issue of public health, each field could learn much from the other.
If we begin to think about medicine, the central unit of concern is the patient. Each patient has a particular set of needs that must be meet. The most obvious among them is their medical needs; however they also include environmental needs, social needs, spiritual needs, political needs, etc. Too often the medicine needs will surmount the others, and those other needs will not be meet sufficiently. This I argue, actually does more harm to the process of recover then it does facilitate a return to a regular lifestyle for that individual. The built environment that surrounds a patient can be as important to their recovery as any single treatment that they receive. So, I propose the solution can be found in the merging of architecture and medicine. While medicine can deal with the physiological needs, architecture can be the means to addressing those “other” needs of a patient. By bring the two field closer we create a more holistic approach to patient care
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
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