Construction for the main building of the new Zaans Medisch Centrum (ZMC) started on August 20th. It marks the next phase in the development of the first hospital in the Netherlands entirely based on lean healthcare design principles.
The 'lean' philosophy focuses on creating added value for both patients and staff. To learn about the actual use of the future building, a 1:1 scale mock-up was built for staff and patients to move around in and give feedback. This generated valuable data the design team used to alter and improve the design. The result is a hospital that is safer and offers higher quality care, better service and a better environment for patients.
By analysing the value streams through the building, Mecanoo has designed a compact flexible environment in which staff enjoy working to provide patient-centred care. The design is both innovative and welcoming, actively accommodating the human scale.
Use of a warm red brick, green balconies and plenty of light creates a pleasant environment in which patients can recover comfortably, staff can work as effectively as possible, and visitors can navigate around with ease.
ZMC is due for completion in 2016.