The study on the design of daylight window in Korea

hospital wards by ages

Lee-yong, Sung1, Wonjea, Lee11

1 Division of architecture,Mokwon University, 88 Doanbookro,Suh-Gu, Daejeon,

Republic of Korea

{Lee-yong,Sung, leerick@mokwon.ac.kr} 1 College of Science and Technology,Division of architecture,Hongik University ,2369,

Sejong-ro,Jochiwon-eup,Sejong, 339-701, Republic of Korea

{Wonjea Lee, wonjlee@hongik.ac.kr}

Abstract. This study analyzes the change of day light windows design in

hospital wards with reviewing specific architectural plans by ages and suggests

an advanced design plan for hospital patients and future direction for façade

design of hospitals.

Keywords: hospital, patient’s rooms, façade design, daylight window, plan

characteristics.

1 Introduction

1.1 Background and purpose of the Study

A hospital was the public place to help an alienated class of people at Medieval

Europe and people recognized a hospital as the place to perform medical intervention

between patients and healthcare providers. Since 1980, hospitals had grown large-

format and upscale with incoming capital and they began to provide not only medical

treatment, but also various health services to maintain health. The US is facing one of

the largest hospital building booms in history. With the graying of the baby boom

generation and the introduction of new technologies, the US expects to spend more

than $16 billion for hospital construction in 2004 and this will rise to more than $20

billion per year. This once- in-lifetime construction provides an opportunity to

consider hospital design, and especially to study how improved hospital design can

help to increase staff satisfaction, patient well-being, and patient safety. A window is

the key factor for daylight. It provides outside view and transmits daylight. Therefore,

the study discovers how the hospital window design has changed in Korea and study

design characteristics of hospital windows by ages. This is to provide resources and to

suggest better ideas in order to help advanced hospital design

Advanced Science and Technology Letters Vol.112 (Architecture and Civil Engineering 2015), pp.20-24

http://dx.doi.org/10.14257/astl.2015.112.04

ISSN: 2287-1233 ASTL Copyright © 2015 SERSC

1.3 The subject and method of the study

The subject for the study is limited in Korea and selected among 3rd healthcare centers

from 1960 to current.

First, the importance of lighting in hospital will be studied by literature review as

well as the change of the point of view about a window design along with hospital

design. The study will clear about difference from previous studies. Second, a hospital

architecture case is selected having a specific daylight window façade and the basic

resources for analysis will be formed by organizing the change of window design by

age. Third, in identifying hospital windows by age, factors and characteristics in

hospital design are discovered by finding what design factors were used for hospital

windows.

2 Literature review

2.1 The importance of lighting in hospital and attempt to change design.

Light affects human beings psychologically and physiologically. In 18-19C,

Nightingale focused on providing patients with access to natural light and air. She

was consulted about the designs of many hospitals. Several studies have documented

the importance of light in reducing depression, decreasing fatigue, improving

alertness, modulating circadian rhythms, and treating conditions such as

hyperbilirubinemia. Further, the presences of windows in the hospital and access to

daylight have been linked with increased satisfaction with the work environment.

Since a window is necessary in a healthcare environment, computer modeling and

simulation techniques are used to evaluate window design for maximum daylight

performance to ensure adequate daylight. Application of optimization methodologies

with simulation in identifying day lighting design are found from Caldas and

Norford(2002) and Wright and Mourshed (2009), among others.

2.2 The basic analysis about the architectural change of domestic hospital

The national medical center and Myungdong Sungmo hospital with 7-8 floors were

built in Korea in 1960s when general areas fell into stagnation. As healthcare

demands were growing in 1970s, a number of new hospitals increased. The hospitals

in this period were designed with the stylobate style having medical examination

rooms in lower floor and patients rooms in upper floor. Also, these buildings were

one storey and high-rise. Hospitals designed one storey were main stream in 1980s

due to high demands of health service

Advanced Science and Technology Letters Vol.112 (Architecture and Civil Engineering 2015)

Copyright © 2015 SERSC 21

and began to extend buildings for centralizing hospital system to increase efficiency

of hospital functions. With investment of business conglomerates, massive private

hospitals were dominant and competitive in 1990s. Also, some of hospitals chose

decentralization of departments like physician examination, medical treatment, and

patient wards. The hospitals emphasizing “hospital street” were appeared in 2000s

and more tried to turn into decentralization of hospital departments as well as massive

remodeling and reconstruction for expansion.

2.3 The Preceding studies about daylight in hospital design

According to some previous studies about daylight being reviewed, hospitals has been

emphasizing to satisfy functional and aesthetic aspects as well as to consider

environmental-friendly design with saving energy. Designing a best therapeutic

environment is important with considering physical factors like daylight. Many

researches also showed that proper exposure of daylight had positive relationship with

patients’ well-being and staff satisfaction. When a hospital is designed, including

daylight windows in the design is beneficial not only for therapeutic environment, but

also for energy saving. Therefore, window design is critical factor in hospital master

plan because a window is an access to view and has a close relationship with daylight.

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3 Analysis

3.1 Analysis of daylight windows in medical facilities.

With the review of hospitals’ windows since 1960, several factors were found. There

is 5 different types of window design by elevation including repeat-type, grid-type,

horizontal type, vertical type, and curtain wall type. The windows were divided by 4

colors such as white, gray, beige, and metal tone. 5 different materials were used;

paint, tiles, metal panel, stone, and glass. In terms of the connection between windows

and wall, 3 types were found; 1) Windows and wall are same vertical level. 2)

Windows are projected from wall. 3) Windows are indented from wall. (Table 1)

Table 1. Analysis of daylight windows

type Color Material Connection between wall and windows

Repeat type White Paint Indented window Grid type Gray Tile Same vertical level

Horizontal type Beige Metal Panel Projected window

Vertical type Metal Stone

Curtain wall type Glass

3.2 The Hospital design change by age

Before 20C, a hospital was the place isolating patients from healthy people and

observing patients’ condition. Medical treatment was relying on natural healing, so

the hospital wards were designed open to monitor patients easily. After 20C, hospitals

became competitive due to business rationalization. Environmental design was main

stream in early age, and then commercial design was dominant by emphasizing

hospitalization system. 21C hospital architecture will be using network that connect

with other medical facilities or public systems to increase efficiency of resources

regarding medical information. These changes will affect various hospital design.

4 The analysis of cases

As the results of analysis about 5 different hospital windows with 5 different ages, the

characteristics of window design has been found.

Table 2. Daylight window characteristics by ages

Age Case Name Window type Color Matrial Connection

1970s Seoul national

hospital Repeat White Paint

Indented window

1980s Seoul Chung Ang

Hospital Repeat White Tile

Indented window

Advanced Science and Technology Letters Vol.112 (Architecture and Civil Engineering 2015)

Copyright © 2015 SERSC 23

1990s Seoul Samsung

Medical Center Horizontal Beige Metal panel

Same vertical

level

2000s Yonsei Severance

Hospital

Repeat,

Curtain wall Metal Metal panel

Indented window

2010s Kangnam Sungmo

Hospital Curtain wall Metal Metal panel

Same vertical

level

5 Conclusion

The characteristics of window design plan in the patient ward were identified.

First, hospital window design has been changed by age. A partial window on the

wall has changed into a whole window.

Second, a type of window was repeated- type, but has been changed into horizontal

type, then curtain wall type.

Third, white which is representative color for medical facilities was used in the

past. Then, metal became main color because of curtain wall popularity. Especially,

silver was the majority as bright metal color.

Fourth, window material has been changed from paint and tiles to metal panel.

At last, as the year passed, repeated type of window as a traditional one has been

transformed to indented window. Curtain wall was mainly used with indented

window, so window was recognized as a part of wall. As a result of this change,

repeated type of wall became indented window as a result of that window was

recognized as a part of wall. Daylight window of hospital has increased its size on the

wall for more daylight and has chosen curtain wall type for a whole window. These

characteristics influence to design building elevation.

References

1. Caldas, L.G. and Norford, L.K., A design optimization tool based on a genetic algorithm,

Automation in Construction, 11(2), (2002)

2. Wright, J. and Mourshed, M., Geometric optimization of fenestration, Proceedings of the

Eleventh International IBPSA Conference, Glasgow, GK, Jly 27-30 (2009)

3. Park, Mi-Hwa, Yu, Eung-Kyo, Study on the Composition of Exterior Design in the Mental

Hospital architecture, Architectural Institute of Korea, Vol. 8, No1, (2006).

4. You, young-Min, Change of Hospital Architecture in Korea since 1945, Journal of The

Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture, Vol.20 No.4, (2014)

5. S. Apripin, Healing Architecture : Daylight in Hospital design, Conference on Sustainable

Building South East Asia, (2007)

Advanced Science and Technology Letters Vol.112 (Architecture and Civil Engineering 2015)

24 Copyright © 2015 SERSC