FPS Design Methodology: Future-Proofing Scenarios in Healthcare Conceptual Design Using BIM

Healthcare facilities are the NHS’s legacy and as in all major and complex projects in construction, the factor of uncertainty is present. Questions arise of how to design our buildings to be able to accommodate future demands. There is a need to realise that there are limits in accurate forecasting. The future is uncertain, for that stakeholders should prepare the facility for possible futures. This can be applied, only if the project is equipped effectively with plausible scenarios during the early design stage. It is understandable, that because the future is unpredictable, it is unlikely that we will be able to make acute long-term forecasts. Moreover, literature suggests that we need to focus on a new future proof pattern. This means, the focus on preparing a model that will be able to adapt to a range of possible future scenarios.

Findings suggest that a safe way to accommodate future flexibility is to effectively apply standardisation. Problems arise in adopting standards as medical technology evolves at a very fast rate, and as a result the NHS guidelines become quickly outdated.

In this PhD project, the BIM process is investigated whether new technological innovations can be created to effectively make use of metadata to control and document the vast changes that occur in both throughout the lifecycle of the facility as well as the constantly improvement of standards, and how can a BIM model become the platform where all stakeholders can add in or check for information regarding future/immediate changes.