Team aan de Schie – a collaboration between cepezed and Vakwerk Architecten – is steadily progressing with the design of the new regional hospital in Roosendaal. A key component of this process is the mock-up, which allows the design to be tested in real life. Over the course of the eighteen-month design phase, the mock-up evolves in parallel with the project.
realistically
The new Bravis Hospital will replace the current facilities in Roosendaal and Bergen op Zoom. To achieve a perfectly functioning design, a patient room has been recreated as realistically as possible in an annex of the Bergen op Zoom hospital. While the walls are made of chipboard and the view through the window is a poster, all the proportions are accurate - from the positioning of the sockets to the location of the washbasin. The mock-up has been in place since the preliminary design phase and is continually refined based on feedback from test sessions.
optimal solution
During one of the recent test sessions, a real hospital bed was manoeuvred into position, raised and lowered, test participants were lifted onto toilets, and medical equipment was connected. Ensuring this process runs smoothly could ultimately be a matter of life and death. Multiple sessions are held in the mock-up throughout the design process, gradually refining the layout into the optimal solution. Users from different departments and services each bring their own specific requirements and engage directly with Team aan de Schie on site. The project’s MEP consultant is also present during these sessions.
a spatial experience
Building mock-ups is particularly worthwhile for complex projects, where spatial arrangements must be finely tuned. In this case, for instance, raising the bed revealed a clash with a light fitting. In general, for the users of the building, we see a significant difference during mock-up sessions between experiencing a space physically and viewing it on a drawing. For example, a low window sill may protrude, but in practice, it does not pose an obstacle when standing next to it.
complex projects
These sessions are an essential part of the extensive user engagement process for the Bravis Hospital design. Owing to their added value, both cepezed and Vakwerk Architecten frequently use mock-ups in other projects as well, especially in complex projects. At cepezed, they have been developed, for example, for the control room in Apeldoorn, the town halls of Woerden and West Betuwe, the A-Pier at Schiphol Airport, and the temporary Sophia Children’s Hospital.
mock-up patient room bravis hospital
