Federico Del Priore of Perkins Eastman: Designing Community-Centric Hospitals

By sharing spaces like parks, hospitals become more welcoming, accepted projects with a positive impact on the local area.

October 28, 2024
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In this episode of Buildings 2.0, Jose speaks with Federico Del Priore, Studio Leader & Principal at Perkins Eastman, about the intersection of architecture and healthcare. Federico emphasizes the importance of human-centered design, highlighting how understanding the needs of patients and clinicians can lead to more compassionate healthcare environments. 

He also discusses the necessity of flexibility in hospital design to accommodate evolving technologies and care modalities. Federico underscores the critical role of communication among stakeholders throughout the design process, ensuring that all voices are heard and integrated into the final outcome. 

Topics discussed:

  • The significance of human-centered design in healthcare architecture, focusing on enhancing the emotional and physical experiences of patients and clinicians alike.  
  • The evolving role of flexibility in hospital design, allowing spaces to adapt to changing technologies and care modalities over time.  
  • The importance of stakeholder communication throughout the design process, ensuring all voices are heard and integrated into the project outcomes.  
  • Strategies for creating supportive environments that promote healing, including the use of natural light and thoughtful spatial layouts.  
  • The impact of post-occupancy surveys in measuring the success of healthcare facilities and informing future design improvements.  
  • The necessity of robust infrastructure in healthcare buildings to accommodate future changes in equipment and technology.  
  • Engaging community members and local artists in the design process to create vibrant, multifunctional spaces adjacent to healthcare facilities.  
  • The role of technology in enhancing patient experiences, such as providing self-service options and facilitating communication with care providers.  
  • The challenges and rewards of managing large architectural teams on complex healthcare projects, emphasizing collaboration and open communication.  
  • The importance of understanding the daily workflows of healthcare professionals to inform effective spatial planning and design decisions.   

Guest Quotes: 

#1.)  

“It goes back to the idea again, that architecture, for me, I mean, it's a profession, right? So people say it's part art, part science, but you are talking about architecture. Tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions, billions of dollars at stake. And then again, it's going to be a part of the city for ideally dozens of years, decades, or even like the subway projects or large institutional projects for 100 years plus, and so there's a certain gravitas and responsibility that comes with that.” 00:34-1:03

#2.) 

“The users, for me, are not just the people inside the building doing what they're doing. It's everybody around the building who just walks past it, goes into it occasionally. Or again, I kind of like that enlargement of the engagement of the catchment area of the building and what you're doing.” 3:30-3:49

#3.) 

“People need to be able to do the things they need to do during their work, but also in their personal life. And also it just makes for less stressful and more effective care if you're not worried about things because you're able to take care of them. Because you need to focus on the patient. But some things come into play that you just need to take care of personally as well.” 13:48-14:06 

#4.)

“No matter where you are, find yourself in an organization or project team structure. You should never really be removing yourself from the project that much that you don't know what it takes to get something done or you can't comment on design  or any detail if something needs improvement or whatever.” 25:07-25:24

Get in touch with Federico Del Priore:  

LinkedIn

Website 

Get in touch with your host, Jose Luis Cruz: 

LinkedIn 

Twitter 

Listen to more episodes: 

Apple 

Spotify

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