3rd floor Barcelona Hospital Clinic

The PMMT team accepted the challenge presented by a project that required them to change the use of the third floor of the Barcelona Hospital Clínic Emergency Department (a department with eight floors in total), originally developed in 1986. They had to ensure that the medical staff would have the functionality and efficiency they needed in a modern hospital emergency room environment, which would be going from a level 4-5 (less serious) to a level 2 (more serious).

This project, only 4600 square feet in size, represented a new architectural approach to a department that prioritizes speed when it comes to treating patients. An in-depth analysis of the needs of the different actors involved allowed PMMT to redesign an emergency department that no longer feels like a transitional space, despite its spatial and organizational limitations. Total focus was placed on the patient, on creating an intimate and soothing environment that would simultaneously serve as an efficient and comfortable workspace for the entire medical team. A space capable of generating new and positive interactions that come together to respond to each person's needs, whether patients, the people accompanying them, or professionals.

The renovated floor consists of a large observation area, along with all of the supporting services. The loud spaces dedicated to patient care, previously separated by curtains and full of auxiliary items and machines, have been transformed into 18 individual boxes in white and orange colors, with clear and inclusive signage. These colors correspond to a code that allows us to more easily identify which floor we're on at any given moment in time. The available space was optimized by organizing resources on walls and in cabinets, prioritizing order and efficiency.

Everything is laid out in such a way that the patient is at the center of the arrangement, facilitating communication and care. Speedy assistance, which is so critical to this department, is one of the key benefits of this spatial redesign. The newly organized space decentralizes care services, allowing for a new and more efficient organizational dynamic. Trips back and forth are minimized in order to provide the patient with a faster response.

Another challenge presented by this extremely tense, cramped space was guaranteeing privacy and comfort for each patient, while also promoting the accessibility of each box. Large sliding panels measuring 4.25 feet wide now provide for easy access to each box, without taking up any operational space. The doors are easy to open. With each door being made of a compact, steel structure weighing 285 pounds, they are resistant to bumps from carts and gurneys. They are mounted on top of KLEIN SLID 150, sliding tracks, chosen because of their reliability and high-tech features. The covered profile, installed on the ceiling, allows for easy maintenance. The sliding panels become a vehicle for all signage, allowing one to easily identify and understand each room, based on a defined color code for each floor.

This complex project required six months of technical research and nine months of remodeling work. Its greatest achievement, after a year and a half of activity, is the operational improvement that it has provided for the medical teams, a benefit recognized both by them and their patients. This project has become an architectural model for maximum efficiency, one that can be exported to the rest of the emergency department floors in the hospital.

The third floor of the Hospital Clínic Emergency Department was one of 11 projects nominated for the 2019 FAD award, out of a total of 173 projects that were submitted for the Interior Design category. It was the first hospital architecture project ever nominated for that category by the prestigious ArquinFAD association that organizes the event each year. PMMT's designs have been recognized in previous calls for projects. In 2018, Menongue Hospital was a finalist for the International FAD award, while Puyo Hospital won the 2014 International FAD award