Overview

Written by Cynthia Hayward, the SpaceMed Guide provides state-of-the-art planning methodologies, industry benchmarks, and rules-of-thumb from decades of consulting to healthcare organizations throughout North America. The SpaceMed Guide was first published in 2004 followed by the second edition in 2006. The third edition was published in the spring of 2015. Click here for a summary of what's new in the third edition.

Organization of the Workbook

The 362-page workbook includes a Preface, What's New in the Third Edition, Introduction, and Using This Workbook chapters followed by sixteen facility component sections. Each section includes descriptive narrative followed by a room-by-room space planning template. Additional quick space calculation templates are provided for selected functional components. All templates are formatted in Microsoft® Excel. The templates can be used to plan specific projects and both imperial and metric versions of the templates are provided. Most functional areas found in acute care hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, and specialty facilities are addressed in one of the SpaceMed Guide's sixteen sections (see examples of specialty facilities). After a general description of the specific facility component, the narrative section includes the following topics:

Current Trends
Key Planning Issues
Space Planning Approaches
Achieving Optimal Performance
Facility Layout Considerations
Potential Facility Planning Pitfalls

The space planning templates can be used to develop a room-specific space program in net square feet or meters and the spaces are organized by functional category of space — such as patient intake area, patient treatment space, shared support space, and administrative space. Guidelines are also provided for developing preliminary space estimates in department gross square feet or meters based on the projected workload, patient treatment spaces, or other space drivers.

Unique Space Planning Approach

The SpaceMed Guide offers a unique approach — the space planning templates identify all rooms or areas as either workload dependant, variable, fixed, or optional.

Workload dependant spaces, such as surgical operating rooms and exam rooms, typically depend on the projected workload. For example, one operating room may be planned for every 900 annual surgical cases or one exam room provided for every 1,500 annual clinic visits.

Variable spaces are based on the total number of patient care or treatment spaces programmed, the number and type of staff working on the primary shift, and the specific type of equipment and vendor selected. For example, three waiting area seats may be programmed per exam room in a clinic, or one handwashing station for every four patient recovery bays.

Fixed spaces do not vary in either number or size regardless of the overall scope of activities of the department or functional component. For example, there is always a unit clerk workstation for each inpatient nursing unit and an environmental services room in the food services area.

Optional spaces depend on the scope of services, specific operational concepts, administrative policy, and the desired level of amenities to be provided. Optional spaces also depend on the availability of shared or centralized spaces elsewhere in the facility. Examples include conference rooms, a sterile processing room, and a coffee shop.

Aligns with the FGI Guidelines

The SpaceMed Guide aligns with the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals and Outpatient Facilities published by the Facilities Guidelines Institute — referred to as the FGI Guidelines — and uses the same nomenclature, required spaces, and minimum room sizes. The SpaceMed Guide complements the FGI Guidelines by helping healthcare providers, planners, and architects to develop the functional program required prior to application of the FGI Guidelines, along with providing the room-by-room space requirements necessary to begin the design process. The FGI Guidelines identifies the functional program as a critical tool for planning and designing healthcare facilities and mandates that a “functional program shall be developed for new construction, major renovations, and projects that change the functional use of any facility space.” In the U.S., the Joint Commission, many federal agencies, and authorities in 42 states use the FGI Guidelines as either a code or a reference standard when reviewing, approving, and financing projects.