Research & consultancy

MARU provides valuable expertise through the complete life-cycle of buildings for health care - from strategic analysis of health care provision, project briefing, design strategies, through to evaluations.

MARU research

Our approach is multi-disciplinary bringing together the needs of the client with the skills of the designer.

MARU's research and consultancy expertise can be engaged at any time through the life-cycle of buildings for health care. You may have a requirement to evaluate your existing health care provision, which may lead to a strategic plan for health care delivery, forming the basis of a design brief for new buildings or adaptation of existing buildings. You may require a particular expertise or our full range of expertise throughout a project from initial needs analysis to evaluation of new buildings.

MARU is unique in being able to draw upon some 30 years experience in the research of buildings for health care. We are also able to draw upon our international research providing a source for new trends in health care delivery.

Research Projects

Building a 2020 Vision

The 2020 vision is the outcome of a one year project that has scanned and synthesised issues and trends from policy, research and practice. The study identifies the organisational changes required for the health service and construction industry both of which are undergoing a phase of accelerated change and modernisation. This study is about stimulating new thinking. It does not attempt to deliver a definitive or singular concept for the design of health buildings in 2020. Rather it sets out a vision that advances emergent policy, research and good practice. It suggests that there is a need to foster and develop a shared vision encompassing innovation in care organisation and innovation in the design and delivery of health care environments.

Funded by the Nuffield Trust and RIBA Future studies.

Ask the Patient

This on-going study aims to develop guidelines for the planning and design of oncology centres. A survey to capture the views and experience of patients, visitors and staff aims to set out the issues that matter to each of these groups in relation to the built environment. In parallel the project will analyse completed post occupancy evaluation studies and projects in development. Together these sources will inform the development of guidelines to be implemented in the Macmillan Cancer Relief development programme for NHS facilities in the UK.

Funded by Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Art and Architecture in Acute Hospitals

The aim of this project is to develop a toolkit for professionals co-ordinating environmental improvements in acute hospital environments with particular focus on the relationship between art and architecture. It will involve the classification of spaces in acute hospitals that broadly distinguishes between public, social and personal spaces. It will seek to develop an evaluative framework for the selection of artwork that sets out the relevant psychological and physical considerations for each spatial type.

Funded By The Kings Fund.

European Hospital Heritage

A comparative study of the social and cultural heritage of hospital environments in selected countries in Europe, is exploring the legacy of historic hospital buildings. A multi-lingual guidebook and web site will be produced. A conference will conclude the study by establishing and encouraging the continuing debate on the future use of heritage hospital buildings in terms of restoration, conservation and creative re-use. MARU is working with Cambridge Collocation, a health based research organisation to develop the UK contribution.

Funded by PAPHE 2000 EU Commission.

Evaluation of design quality in selected PFI Hospitals

This study draws together available design information about six PFI hospital schemes and reviews them in terms of design quality. The study sets out to advance the thinking on design quality for health care buildings by developing a framework and checklist of 40 questions in which factors of function, sustainability and perception are considered. The conclusion is not aimed at ranking individual schemes but rather at articulating those aspects of design quality that have been given the most emphasis.

Funded by NHS Estates.

Therapeutic environments for high security psychiatric care

A literature review of the contribution of the physical environment to therapy in secure and acute psychiatric care. Texts are drawn from three main disciplines; psychiatry, environmental psychology and architecture. The study is complemented by a directory of recent buildings for medium secure psychiatric care including some European examples.

Funded by the High Security Psychiatric Commissioning Board.

50 years of ideas in health care buildings

The preparation and publication of a book to commemorate the achievements of 50 years of ideas for the design of buildings for health care since the establishment of the NHS in the UK. The book focuses on key ideas that have been influential in healthcare design. Within a UK contextual framework of changing ideas and knowledge in medicine, architecture, building, society and healthcare policy, four viewpoints have been developed. These are: the role of research and development; the impact of systems and standards programme; the interaction of theory and practice; and a review of current ideas about health building design.

Funded by the Nuffield Trust

AJ Metric Handbook: chapter on Hospital Design

Twenty eight page chapter on the key issues in hospital design.

Funded by AJ Metric Handbook

Evaluation studies for oncology centres

Post occupancy evaluations of technical and operational issues, design quality and user responses have been undertaken at four oncology centres in both acute and community settings for a range of services such as day chemotherapy, palliative care, information, counselling and inpatient care.

Funded by Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Facilities for cancer services

This study derives planning and design issues based on data collected from a selection of 10 centres in the UK to inform the new Health Building Note 54 on Facilities for Cancer Services.

Funded by NHS Estates.

Innovative environments for rehabilitation

This study identifies from literature and practice innovative services and environments for rehabilitation in the community. Twelve case studies demonstrate the different directions that these services are taking.

Funded by NHS Estates.

Designing for primary care: a resource

A briefing guide for primary care premises set out in a workbook format useful to the client. Organisational issues are raised and specific considerations outlined to enable decision making with an appraisal question for checking design schemes.

Funded by NHS Executive North West.

Scanning Spectrum of Healthcare from Hospital to Home

Viewpoints from research, clinical practice, health management and health building design were gathered from five seminars on likely future change in the settings for the delivery of health care. The seminars focused on inpatient care, emergency care, diagnostic techniques, surgical intervention and intermediate care.

Funded by London South Bank University.

Consultancy

UK Commissions

Primary and Community Care

Newbury Community Hospital

This study involves the articulation of a vision for a new hospital to replace two existing facilities with the development of an output specification to inform the PFI procurement process.

For Newbury Community NHS Trust.

Primary Care Services and Estates Review

This study generated an ambitious vision for Healthy City and Hackney for the development of 3 Community Care Centres with multi agency integration supported by a unified primary care service based in health centres and GP surgeries.

For City and Hackney Community Services NHS Trust.

St Leonard's Option Appraisal Study and access project

These studies examined an existing site for community services and the trust headquarters to explore existing and future needs: devised and appraised options for redevelopment and highlighted issues regarding the long term strategic development of primary care. A further feasibility study developed design ideas to provide a safe and attractive access for people with wheelchair and other walking aids.

For City and Hackney Community Services NHS Trust.

St Charles Hospital Rehabilitation project

A vision for a new rehabilitation service for older people was developed with clinical providers bringing together services for both the physically and mentally frail. The model brings together inpatient care, day hospital and integrated physiotherapy and other rehabilitation therapies. Feasibility studies looked at optional locations on the St Charles Hospital site.

For Parkside Community NHS Trust.

Patterson Centre

This study looked ate the feasibility of remodelling the existing Patterson Centre to accommodate a modern psychiatric service as an option to the St Charles scheme.

For Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster Health Authority.

St Charles Mental Health Project

A further study of these proposals involving seeking views of Mental Health service users through focus groups and confirming agreement to the proposals.

For Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster Health Authority.

Hospital Development / Management Projects

Royal London Homeopathic Hospital

A feasibility study to explore the redevelopment by dividing the existing building vertically and a review of strategic options for taking the project forward.

For Parkside Community NHS Trust.

Conquest Hospital Study

Six service organisational aspects were reviewed prior to the design of the second phase of the hospital. Traffic and movement studies sought alternative entrances and routes for specific patient groups to relieve congestion at the main entrance. The concept of reorganising the hospital into "villages" for surgical, medical and elderly services was explored.

For Hastings and Rother NHS Trust.

Overseas Commissions

UAE: short course

An intensive two week course focusing on the principles of planning and designing hospitals was organised for a multi disciplinary group. This included visits to UK 'state of the art' facilities. Qatar: Children 2000 clinic The match between the envisaged organisation and the existing building provision was reviewed. Operational policies were proposed to optimise the use of the existing facilities while providing the necessary clinical support services to create a viable service delivery. Minimal design modifications were highlighted.

Commissioned by Qatari - German Children Medical Centre.

Lebanon: Retreat 2005: seminar on strategic hospital plan

Key clinical and managerial personnel were facilitated to perceive of possible future development directions for the American Hospital in Beirut. Current international ideas on new medical and information technologies, new hospital organisational models and new concepts of designing therapeutic environments contributed to the generation of optional development routes.

Commissioned by American University of Beirut Medical Centre.

Gabon: analysis of provincial hospitals situation

From a preliminary survey, strategic development proposals for 8 Provincial Hospitals in Gabon were developed. Health service and facility distribution in the Libreville area were reviewed in outline. First stage proposals were presented for developing a new master plan for Libreville Central Hospital. A preliminary proposal was made for developing the Libreville psychiatric hospital.

Commissioned by WHO Regional Office for Africa.

Clients

United Kingdom

MARU have provided research and consultancy for London and regional NHS Trusts and Health Authorities:

International

MARU have provided consultancy and training to overseas organisations:

Sponsored Research, funders

MARU have been commissioned to undertake research studies for NHS Trusts, professional organisations, government bodies, charities, universities and publishers:

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