Understanding Patient Comfort

Patient comfort was a major element of the project. "The treatment rooms are designed in a soothing manner and appeal to someone about to undergo radiation therapy," says Deepak Dandekar (Manager of Architecture UCSF). According to Byron Bronston, project designer (SmithGroup), "From the beginning, we looked at all design decisions from the standpoint that we were creating a warm, welcoming healthcare facility and did not want to turn people away with an overly institutional or technological image. 

We attempted to meld technology with something more domestic, to give people a sense of a warm, friendly environment and make them feel more comfortable while they are undergoing difficult medical treatment. We also considered cleanability and cost-effectiveness during the design, going above what the client expected." [Facilities Design and Management, March 2002]

We had also designed the research/lab across the street, which has a very high-tech appearance. Though appropriate for that building, the client didn't want the same appearance in this facility.