Established in 2009, the Perkins+Will Research Journal is a twice-a-year, peer-reviewed publication dedicated to documenting and and presenting practice-related research associated with buildings and their environments.
Residence Halls provide a unique educational opportunity for students, since they can learn about and experience a lifestyle that embodies sustainable practices and engages them as active participants in reducing energy use for the building. The Massachusetts State College Building Authority (MSCBA) and Bridgewater State University (BSU) took advantage of a Zero Net Energy Building... Read more »
As the area of computerized, high-fidelity medical simulation training has evolved, a new approach has developed centered on an offering of course work in interdisciplinary teams-based learning. This article compares the varied types of team-based training offered at simulation centers in educational institutions and healthcare system-based centers in order to identify how this learning style... Read more »
This article reviews Waste to Energy (WTE) technologies that are currently available and how the healthcare sector can employ these for waste management and revenue generation. The available literature is reviewed to discuss specific case studies. The case studies also explore the role of local communities in these ventures. The financing, operations and maintenance of... Read more »
Early in the development of the design for the Tinkham Veale University Center, the team determined that the west-facing glass wall of the Commons space presented challenges to the usability and conditioning of that space. The team proceeded to explore several options to control solar heat and light gain, including electrochromic glass, internal sun shading,... Read more »
The Grady Health System Ponce de Leon Center is a comprehensive outpatient clinic for treatment of HIV and AIDS. The Center sought to improve operations and the built environment to retain and attract more patients in ongoing care at the Center. The project employed a Lean perspective to identify opportunities and improve efficiency within the... Read more »
A large community hospital with over 100,000 emergency visits annually was challenged with reducing their patient waiting times, and decided to make some critical changes to their process in order to care for their patients. The hospital was certain that the lack of space was the primary cause of the problem, as all exam rooms... Read more »
This article outlines the use of a Lean design process, enabled by simulation modeling, to determine the appropriate size of an emergency department based on current patient volumes and projected patient volumes in 12 years. In its most recent year, the emergency department hosted 67,000 patient visits within 34 exam rooms. Projections estimate that almost... Read more »
Buildings are defined as “green” when specific measures are incorporated to provide healthier environments for their users and mitigate their negative impact on the environment. The practice of green building has caused significant changes in the construction industry, exposing architects to new legal liabilities. The objective of this paper is to investigate, identify and clarify... Read more »
This study was conducted as part of an existing facility evaluation before design of a specialized pediatric clinic in Northern Virginia. The goal of the study was to investigate the positive distraction techniques staff use for pediatric patients during medical visits, and the possible role of the built environment in supporting these techniques. Applicability of each... Read more »
This article outlines the use of process modeling at Perkins+Will to determine the appropriate size of waiting spaces and number of seats for outpatient clinics in a medical office building in the Southeast. Opening in 2013, the building represents an addition of more than 200,000 square feet to the campus. Inputs to the process model included provider schedules,... Read more »
This paper discusses unique design of the Rush University Medical Center Edward A. Brennan Entry Pavilion, specifically focusing on the sustainable strategies considered and investigated during the design as well as the technical aspects. The first part of the article reviews background information about the Rush University Medical Center and its Entry Pavilion, while the... Read more »
