What Is The Evidence? The Application of Evidence-Based Design in Healthcare Facilities

Abstract

How do architects make decisions? What is the evidence for what they do? With the emerging practice of evidence-based design, many studies have been putting forth claims with opinions about what the "best" or "right" way to design is. But how credible are these research findings? And how has evidence-based design influenced the way that designers make critical decisions? This research-based thesis evaluates the method of evidence-based design and seeks to understand how architectural designers evaluate "evidence" related to design issues in healthcare environments. Interviews with local designers, healthcare owners and developers reveal insight into how practitioners interact with evidence-based design findings, how the data is evaluated, and how the process of evidence-based design is actually utilized in professional practice.