Presentation at the 11th Envisioning Architecture Conference. Healthcare space is designed based on representations of activity — such as types, organograms, or workflows — that often do not match the real activities of nurses, doctors, and technicians. This is not necessarily a problem, since activities can adapt to new space, but there is a risk of hindering activity development while operating in unsuitable space. The design of new space can actually be an opportunity for activity development, provided that healthcare activities are able to represent themselves in that process. Activity self-representation has been studied in the design of a medical imaging center and the conclusion is that visualization tools are very important for that. Visualization tools should be easily manipulated by healthcare professionals, and allow shifting the levels of analysis from operations to actions, and from actions to activity. Furthermore, they should allow manipulating activity and space in the same representation. Full paper here: http://fredvanamstel.com/publications/visualization-tools-for-self-representation-in-healthcare-design

1. 1
Visualization Tools for
Self-Representation in
Healthcare Design
Frederick van Amstel, PhD Researcher
Construction Management & Engineering Dept.
p. 507

2. Healthcare design is based on representations of
activity...
2Plans for a new Medical Imaging Center.

3. ... that may not match the future activity!
3Plans for a new Medical Imaging Center.

4. Thus, activity subjects are invited to participate in
healthcare design.
4Workshop about a new Medical Imaging Center.

5. However, floor plans are very poor to visualize
activity.
5Workshop about a new Medical Imaging Center.
The
patient comes
here and wait. Then
he takes the fluid
and...
Wait...
I'm not
following you!

6. Simulations can do it, but are not good for
participation.
6Plans for a new Medical Imaging Center.

7. The knitting game
7Second workshop for a new Medical Imaging Center.
Introducing “The knitting game” for self-representation

8. Still not good to adjust activity and space at the
same time.
8Second workshop for a new Medical Imaging Center.

9. Criteria for self-representation tools
8Second workshop for a new Medical Imaging Center.
• Easy manipulation
• Level-shift
• Multi-dimensional

10. Walking Paths: an Autodesk Revit family to visualize
activity
9Available at http://fredvanamstel.com/blog/optimizing-walking-paths

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My Research Interests
• Participatory Design
• Activity Theory
• Cultural Studies
• Frederick van Amstel f.vanamstel@utwente.nl
• Twitter @fredvanamstel
• http://fredvanamstel.com
• PhD Supervisors: Timo Hartmann, Mascha van der Voordt, Geert Dewulf