Healthcare is changing dramatically. These changes are driven by various influencing factors in the short term and long term: increasing cost; the continued shift to the outpatient setting; an ageing population; increases in non-communicable diseases and chronic conditions; and leaps in both diagnostic and treatment technology.

Healthcare providers are also increasingly pressured to respond appropriately to catastrophic events such as hurricanes, floods, acts of war, contagious epidemics and local, regional or global pandemics. Healthcare facilities are a fundamental core to deliver safe, high-quality, sustainable and economical health services. These demands require hospitals for today and for the future to be both flexible and adaptable.

Flexibility and adaptability have been talked about a lot, but has the question ever been answered – why should we do it this way? As an industry, we need to challenge ourselves as to how we can better build hospitals and clinics with longevity, and make flexibility and adaptability an integral and valued component of the design process. This partnership between an architect and a developer will present insights on how to design and deliver flexible and adaptable healthcare infrastructure.

The presentation will cover:

• the need for flexibility and adaptability;
• the types of flexibility and adaptability;
• the value of developing a future-casting strategy;
• the technical response for both architecture and engineering; and
• the commercial viability in the short term and long term.

Key learning points will include:

• why flexibility and adaptability are needed;
• the types of flexibility and adaptability to consider;
• how we should move forward as an industry;
• how integrated infrastructure and strategic operations can impact design; and
• how technology can enhance health and wellbeing of the care space and workspace.