A roll-up emergency department, next-gen telemedicine center, and biophilic cooling pods are among the AEC industry’s clever ideas and novel innovations for 2016. Check out these and eight other breakthrough concepts in BD+C’s annual Great Solutions report. Click on any link below to read the full article for each Great Solution.
1. Virtual care facility serves remote patients, may reduce readmissions
Mercy’s new high-tech medical center equips its medical professionals to deliver care at the bedside of patients anywhere. Read the full article.
2. At Beyer Blinder Belle everyone’s seeing RED
The firm’s R&D initiative inspires its designers to develop ideas that could positively disrupt the practice. Read the full article.
3. Mini-grant R&D program pays off in a big way for AE firm
Created through funding from Little’s LaceUp program, the Center for Building Performance has helped the design firm win 14 new jobs since its inception. Read the full article.
4. Biophilic pods beat the shade when it comes to outdoor cooling
The Xylem concept by CallisonRTKL regulates outdoor thermal comfort through shading, air movement, water circulation, and a vegetated roof. Read the full article.
5. Reclaimed wood paneling adds color to retail and hospitality projects
Colorburst panels are available in four stock options—Robin Egg Blue, Viridian Green, Haute Pink, and Cascade White—as well as custom colors. Read the full article.
6. Durable coffeemaker brings a bit of comfort to job sites
The CoffeeBoxx is lightweight rust proof, dust proof, water resistant, and ultra durable. Read the full article.
7. Mobile emergency room arrives just in time for Alabama hospital
The MED-1 Mobile Hospital Unit serves as a lower-cost solution during construction of new ED. Read the full article.
8. Novel construction approach speeds K-12 school projects
The Folia system uses pre-engineered components to deliver school buildings at 20% less cost. Read the full article.
9. Reusable infection control barriers ease hospital renovation
Clark Construction Group pilots the Edge Guard system on the Fair Oaks (Va.) Hospital reconstruction project. Read the full article.
10. Visual energy model database demystifies net-zero design
Diamond Schmitt Architects’ ecoMetrics tool allows its designers to quickly analyze solutions based on models from 44 LEED-certified projects. Read the full article.
11. GBBN designers take on wellness research
In a new research paper, three healthcare specialists present factors that contribute to a psychological state that is receptive to healing. Read the full article.
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | Sep 30, 2024
The importance of selecting healthy materials for K-12 projects
Clark Nexsen interior designers Anna Claire Beethoven and Brittney Just, CID, IIDA, LEED Green Associate, share why it is imperative to specify healthy building materials in K-12 schools.
Education Facilities | Sep 16, 2024
Hot classrooms, playgrounds spur K-12 school districts to go beyond AC for cooling
With hotter weather occurring during the school year, school districts are turning to cooling strategies to complement air conditioning. Reflective playgrounds and roads, cool roofs and window films, shade structures and conversion of asphalt surfaces to a natural state are all being tried in various regions of the country.
K-12 Schools | Aug 29, 2024
Designing for dyslexia: How architecture can address neurodiversity in K-12 schools
Architects play a critical role in designing school environments that support students with learning differences, particularly dyslexia, by enhancing social and emotional competence and physical comfort. Effective design principles not only benefit students with dyslexia but also improve the learning experience for all students and faculty. This article explores how key design strategies at the campus, classroom, and individual levels can foster confidence, comfort, and resilience, thereby optimizing educational outcomes for students with dyslexia and other learning differences.
K-12 Schools | Aug 26, 2024
Windows in K-12 classrooms provide opportunities, not distractions
On a knee-jerk level, a window seems like a built-in distraction, guaranteed to promote wandering minds in any classroom or workspace. Yet, a steady stream of studies has found the opposite to be true.
K-12 Schools | Aug 8, 2024
New K-12 STEM center hosts robotics learning, competitions in Houston suburb
A new K-12 STEM Center in a Houston suburb is the venue for robotics learning and competitions along with education about other STEM subjects. An unused storage building was transformed into a lively space for students to immerse themselves in STEM subjects. Located in Texas City, the ISD Marathon STEM and Robotics Center is the first of its kind in the district.
Smart Buildings | Jul 25, 2024
A Swiss startup devises an intelligent photovoltaic façade that tracks and moves with the sun
Zurich Soft Robotics says Solskin can reduce building energy consumption by up to 80% while producing up to 40% more electricity than comparable façade systems.
K-12 Schools | Jul 15, 2024
A Cleveland suburb opens a $31.7 million new middle school and renovated high school
Accommodating 1,283 students in grades 6-12, the Warrensville, Ohio school complex features flexible learning environments and offers programs ranging from culinary arts and firefighting training to e-sports.
K-12 Schools | Jul 1, 2024
New guidelines for securing schools and community spaces released by the Door Security and Safety Foundation
The Door Security and Safety Foundation (DSSF), in collaboration with Door and Hardware Institute (DHI), recently released of “Are Your Door Openings Secure?.” The document provides guidelines to equip school administrators, building management personnel, and community leaders with a clear roadmap to create a secure and safe environment.
Senior Living Design | Jun 28, 2024
The country’s largest retirement community expands with educational facilities
The project will include a high school, a K-8 school, and an Early Learning Center aimed at serving the children of residents who work in qualified businesses within The Villages.
K-12 Schools | May 30, 2024
Inclusive design strategies to transform learning spaces
Students with disabilities and those experiencing mental health and behavioral conditions represent a group of the most vulnerable students at risk for failing to connect educationally and socially. Educators and school districts are struggling to accommodate all of these nuanced and, at times, overlapping conditions.
