The hospital building type changes radically. Politics, economy, society, and other disciplines define a new future hospital. Research on this topic led to the following two statements, where the design is derived from: 1) it is better for society and hospital users that a practical relationship emerges between the two, 2) it is better for the hospital network to operate from the future ring road of the Randstad: the freeway. The result of the two positions is the freeway center: a large multifunctional building at the freeway, with in this case the basic hospital as main function.
The freeway center combines the basic hospital with other businesses like catering, congress centers, supermarkets, and potentially provides extra capacity for a growing number of private hospitals and external medical specialisms. The synergy, flexibility and profitability of the center will attract private financing in possible new ownership and control situations. The set-up will also attract people and contribute to a practical relationship between the hospital users and society.
Building at the freeway has a lot of advantages for the freeway center. Land is available and affordable, the view is wide, light and green, and the location is within optimal reach. Connecting both sides of the freeway is a requirement and gives the location its attraction and potential. The specific location is the bridge-restaurant Schiphol on the freeway A4, near the booming towns of Hoofddorp and Nieuw-Vennep.
A part of the liveliness of the freeway is brought into the freeway center. The interaction between the fast society and the freeway center is the bridge between the two statements. This will lead to a more dynamic image of the basic hospital. The main entrance leads to the main hall on the first floor. The central counter controls and directs the patients and visitors streams. The second floor is the main floor of the basic hospital, where most of the treatments, nursing and operations take place. This way the dependence of elevators is minimized.
In order to take account of future developments, the freeway center has a changeable set-up. Both heads of the building can be extended, and with the large-scale concrete construction the interior can be transformed radically without changing the building’s structure. The climate control is flexible because of the use of large buffers. Solar heat is absorbed by
the vast shed roof and is stored in the ground. With this system also cooling is generated using cold ground water, supported by the ventilation air. The air is attracted from the countryside, led through the freeway center and its buffer atria, and released above the freeway.
Freeway architecture is large-scale. The façade of the freeway center is light and open with shiny lightgray concrete and glass. Unity provides equality under all different users of the freeway center. The inner world is well-organized and comfortable with long vistas and a high level of daylight. The contrast between the building space and the human scale of the functions inside is emphasized. The architecture of the basic hospital is based on the “four-streams-model”. Acute care is located on the other side of the freeway with a very functional interior. Urgent care starts at the main entrance and takes its own route along the main hall to the operations department. Elective and chronic care are organized around the main hall with the outpatients department, and nursing next to it. The main hall has a clear relationship with the freeway, whereas the nursing breathes the atmosphere of the surrounding quiet Dutch countryside. Sound insulation supports the desired ambiences. The different ambiences and their contrast contribute to the best healing environment.
