Designing a medical centre means balancing interior design and construction elements that combine patient functionality with a unique visual look that sets your practice apart. Achieving this equilibrium requires forward thinking and a thorough project brief to ensure efficient project management.
There are many challenges to delivering a medical practice fit out to specification, including:
- Time constraints: In an ideal world, you’ll have ample time to deliver the perfect facility. However, operators often have to work against tight deadlines to keep to budget, while project delays can also impact the result. Accounting for these variables from the outset of the project gives you the best chance for success.
- A considered budget: So much of the success or failure of a fit out project comes from failing to adequately set or manage a budget for design and building. Your funding has to sustain the project in its entirety, so you need to ensure expenses are mapped out in detail at each stage of the construction project.
- Lack of cohesion between design and practical needs: It can be difficult to come to a design idea that accommodates the desired visual and architectural elements and still meets the practical needs of your healthcare space.
Nullifying these challenges requires planning from the early stages of the project.
Planning every step of a medical practice fit out is key for success.
The multiple stages that make up a medical practice fit out project each require different individuals and expertise. A project brief provides a comprehensive understanding of your ultimate goals, making it easier to meet them in every aspect.
The document should include notes on both practical and creative. On the functional side, it should include information on design and construction budgets, project deadlines and details on the teams working on each aspect of the fit out. You should also inform those involved about the essential elements to be considered; for example, if your medical practice requires space for private recovery rooms, project teams need to know this design choice is non-negotiable.
On the flip side, you should also provide the project management team with ideas for the architectural elements you want included in your layout and interior design.
Your fit out project brief should include information on practical details as well as key design and architectural ideas.
Queensland Government’s Department of Public Works specifies a project brief should include information on:
- The nature and intended goals of the workplace.
- Measurements of individual spaces and rooms’ physical proximity to one another and the support services required to meet these demands.
- Special/non-standard inclusions or variations from medical industry guidelines.
A thorough project brief is the key to delivering an evidenced-based medical practice that meets high quality standards. With help from the Space for Health team you can make planning your fit out easier than ever. Get in touch with us today for help with your project!
