Hospitals are buildings with a crucial role for the communities where they are inserted in and should be designed to be robust and efficient buildings. These buildings have very specific requirements in terms of comfort, health care and accommodation of advanced technological equipment.

Some relevant aspects to consider in the development of these designs are safety, specific treatment spaces, flexibility – in order to allow for the adjustment of the spaces to the most current needs, and the level of comfort of its users.

GEG’s designs in this sector are carried out and coordinated in a structured and reflected manner in order to respect all of its constraints, while at the same time seeking the sustainability of buildings and the optimisation of costs throughout their life cycle.

In situations of severe instability in the community, such as the occurrence of an earthquake or adverse weather conditions, hospitals play a key role and their correct functioning should be ensured so that the city is able to respond to the urgent society needs, helping cities around the world become more resilient. In this context, GEG developed innovative earthquake safety solutions for the Children’s Hospital of Coimbra.

The design of hospital buildings pays special attention to the health areas intended, for example, for radiotherapy, with special structural solutions being anticipated to ensure greater protection against the maximum levels of radiation. Some of the solutions adopted at Cancer Hospitals in Algeria are to be highlighted.

The flexibility of the buildings should also be taken into account in order to allow the owner to change the technical infrastructure for another type of use or adaptation to new technologies.