A research team from Texas A&M University has developed precise methods for making calculations to ensure consistency when measuring healthcare spaces, according to an article on the Health Facilities Management website.
The research, funded in part by the Academy of Architecture for Health Foundation, documented building and departmental areas for recent hospital projects in North America.
The new calculation method was developed with advice from a council of practitioners.
To test the methodology, the research team drafting software to conduct consistent area takeoffs from drawings of 36 completed healthcare projects. As each project was measured, consistency was maintained with identical sequences of measurement operations. Ambiguous situations were identified and policy was adopted and documented.