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36 Medical Construction & Design | NOV EMBER / DECEMBER 2016 | MCDM AG.COM BY DEBORAH SHEEHAN By numerous measures, designing healthcare facilities to be adaptable and fl ex- ible enough to stand the test of time is advantageous for health systems and organiza- tions. Given the ever-evolving nature of healthcare deliv- ery in response to emerging technologies and medical advancements, coupled with the reality that reimbursement patterns are changing radi- cally in today's environment, organizations that can rely on their facilities to fl ex and accommodate changes in tech- nology, service delivery and care models can diff erentiate themselves in the communi- ties they serve and maximize capital investments. One strategic approach to designing healthcare facilities that is advantageous to these eff orts is the research and in- vestment in developing build- ing modules in response to a universal grid — an optimum set of vertical and horizontal dimensions for the struc- tural bay of a building that is both vetted for engineering soundness and construction effi ciency. When leveraged ap- propriately, incorporating the universal grid can future-proof real estate, creating facilities capable of driving value for the next 100 years. While the universal grid design is somewhat straight forward — the spatial grid is typically 31 feet 6 inches by 31 feet 6 inches by 18-feet high — through research and application, it has proven to off er almost infi nite real estate adaptability and benefi ts. The following is a look at a few recent facilities that have leveraged the universal grid and examples of the benefi ts they're realizing: Decreasing costs, accommodating change The State University of New York at Buff alo (SUNY Buff alo) and Kaleida Health Gates Vascular Institute and Clinical Translational Research Center (GVI/CTRC) is an academic medical center that serves as the cornerstone of Buff alo's downtown health sciences corridor. Drawing on synergies be- tween SUNY Buff alo's research eff orts and Kaleida Health's vascular care, the GVI/CTRC stacks a research building above a clinical vascular in- stitute. The fi rst four fl oors of this 10-story vertical campus building house the GVI and the CTRC occupies the top half of the building. Sandwiched between the two is a two- level "collaborative core" — a binder that connects doctors and researchers from varying specialties to meet in a variety of dynamic situations to accel- erate medical discoveries and move medical science from the bench to the bedside. The entire GVI/CTRC is designed with the universal grid as it can accommodate essentially all healthcare and research functions. This ensures that as disciplines and technologies evolve, the ADAPTABLE, ECONOMICAL , FLEXIBLE Advantages of leveraging universal grid design The GVI/CTRC in Buffalo, New York, is a dynamic health research facility that moves science research from the lab bench to the bedside. CannonDesign's universal grid is an optimal design for the structural bay of a building that makes facilities more agile, fl exible and valuable for the future. SMART HOSPITALS ISSUE FOCUS Interior: Tim Wilkes; Exterior: K C Kratt; Collaborate: Bjorg Magnea