Designing a Post-Occupancy-Evaluation (POE) Tool for Hospitals. Addressing functional and emotional users’ needs in hospitals

Abstract

This abstract is an introduction to my PhD thesis in progress at Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid). My area of interest is the influence of Architecture on Healthcare and vice versa. My research field is the environmental conditions (both quantitative and qualitative) in specific areas of an acute hospital where recovery takes place. The article focuses on the methodology followed on this study which consists of a literature analysis, a three-month hospital placement in Dénia (Alicante), study trips to reference hospitals and a three-month placement at the “Centre for Healthcare Architecture” Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. The aim of my research is to design a post-occupancy-evaluation (POE) tool which gathers the latest research on evidence-based design, best practice advice and lessons learnt on hospital facilities.