VENTILATION IN PATIENTS’ROOM

Introduction
According to literature, the quality of a space is related with users and a program of quality in architecture means improving to the degree which design fulfills needs and expectation. [1] More specifically, three of the main technical parameters that define the quality of a space are: the indoor air quality (I.A.Q.), lighting and temperature. [2] All the above parameters add to the comfort of the user and can create a better and healthier environment. Natural ventilation of indoor spaces at this point is particularly important. At the same time, according to environmental psychology there are certain aspects of the build environment (at the scale of a building) that can potentially influence human health and alter stress levels in individuals. Those aspects are stimulation, coherence, affordances and control. [3] This classification though, does not include the conditions that are fundamentally potential sources of physical stress. Two basic categories have been identified: first the microclimatic conditions of a building and second the ergonomic conditions of use of the space. [4] More specifically, about the microclimatic conditions of the building, ambient environmental stressors such as noise, traffic, crowding, air pollution and lighting are included. Appropriate air and lighting quality can add to the well-being of the patient and positively affect the psychological and physical condition of the patient. [5]
Proper ventilation and lighting play a vital role in the health state of the patient but also in the hygiene of a healthcare facility. The era of the hermitically sealed hospital and mechanically ventilated patients’ rooms is over in today’s design methods. [6] Current architectural trends focus on sustainable design rules that aim for low energy cost and reduction of artificial methods of air and lighting supply. This strategy was not considered acceptable in hospital architecture since the 1930s. The transmission of fresh air and natural daylight into the interior is therefore once again seen as integral. [7] The guidelines of “green” architecture in hospital design can be translated in operable windows in patients’ rooms and in adjacent spaces, larger windows apertures, the use of low-e glazing types, new full spectrum light fixtures, multiple lighting options (skylights, clerestories, etc.) and other means to bring light into the interior realm with the intent being twofold – to simultaneously engage the patient in the natural environment as part of the healing experience and to reduce the facility’s annual energy expenditures. [8] […]