ONE Heart Care (ONE heart) is a cardiac centre, offering an effective healing experience. By hosting a number of cardiology-focused services in one place, it provides both diagnosis and remedial treatments.
The vision of a group of cardiologists, ONE Heart is founded on unity; it evokes harmony, convenience and trust for patients and staff. Located in a not-so-privileged area, this newly-opened facility advances social equity and salutogenic design solutions while addressing long-wait for appointments and offering country’s most comprehensive, state-of-the-art cardiac fcare. This two-storey, 30,000 SF clinic accommodates both a significant amount of medical rooms as well as a cardiology research and innovation unit.
Serving emotionally-exhausted patients with heart conditions (and their loved ones), the professional and comfortable setting of ONE Heart feature bright spaces. An efficient layout, taking into consideration patient-flow, was critical in creating a pleasant experience for visitors.
An important feature of the clinic is the modularity of the space, and thus its flexibility to accommodate future programmatic changes. The layout of the rooms was designed in such a way to allow for easy transformation from one room type to another, as future requirements may differ from the current needs.
The entrance invites the patients and their company into the first floor where an elegant, double-height hallway leads to the second floor by way of elevators/stairs. The majority of the services reside on this floor, beginning with the main reception. The design strategy divides up this floor into multiple pods; three are dedicated to examination, one for nuclear stress/imaging, and one for educational, research and operational purposes.
Each pod, with an effective navigation system, has its own smaller reception, receiving patients and ensuring an efficient flow of foot-traffic. Within every pod, the doctors’ offices are situated in close proximity to three exam rooms, and the distance between the pods are calculated with allowance for staff short-cuts, minimizing wait-time and maximizing patient-care. Mezzanine floor is completely dedicated to staff, offering offer a comfortable and quiet atmosphere for the medical professionals.
The scope of the project required interior work. In order to reduce the environmental impact and increase the longevity, the design team developed a systems/material strategy: white porcelain tiles (non porous), wood panels and stainless steel with linear light fixtures. Instead of doors that serve as dividers in hospitals, the black frames—stretched from floor to ceiling—separate the spaces, mark their entrances and create sufficient boundaries without disrupting traffic.
The existing Building Automation System was retrofitted and upgraded for medical requirements. The design team developed multiple temperature zones that are both energy efficient and effective. The temperature zones are based on the building’s orientation and code, some needing more heating equipment and some more ventilation technology.
Fresh air and natural light penetrate certain spaces while artificial lighting, along the walls and ceiling, brighten the hallways. Today, this newly opened facility provides a home to accommodate the clients’ ambitions of a state-of-the-art cardiac centre with room to grow in the future.
