Last week’s question, which happened to spill over into this week because of operator’s dating error, gained much attention and discourse from readers. So I pulled the comments out here to the blogs, to see what else people have to say about the topic.

From a blog comment: Systems like Evidence Based Design, LEED, and Lean tend to disempower the individual designers and commoditize their contribution.

COMMENTS:

17/11/2008 Individual designers contributions are a hundredfold more relevant when informed by study of the results of Evidence Based Design, LEED and Lean research and results. In healthcare…..function, efficiency, cleanability (as proven by research in EBD, L & L.) must always be considered equal to aesthetics when designing healthcare spaces.

Renee Hawk, CID, LEED AP, Herman Miller for Healthcare Design Team Leader, Western USA

18/11/2008 Commoditization of professional design services is a function of the design professional allowing the attitude in the first place. Design professions are regulated and licensed no less than the physicians, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technologists, etc. that we serve, as licensed design professionals, in focusing and executing their vision as built space. The quantity of education needed is no less.

Program Managers, or at least a majority of them, look at the design professionals as hired hands, like the plumber or drywall guy. We often allow it.

Stand up for your profession.

As far as LEED, EBD and Lean, remember Covey’s Seventh Habit: “Sharpen the Saw.”

21/11/2008 Having ARCHITECTS speak for interior designers in the Healthcare (as well as all) Design fields is what disempowers designers.

21/11/2008 It may commoditize the process somewhat but it’s also shows the Healthcare providers that the A&D community is are taking more into consideration than just what looks pretty.

21/11/2008 Systematic approaches to solving design problems, whether it be EBD, or applying LEAN principles, have the potential to enhance the contributions and solutions that designers and architects offer, by postiively reinforcing the solution and the message. The quantification of results can help sway the dialogue from stylistic jingoism to meaningful discourse on the merits of the particular design approach, and move owners and laymen from the topic of persoanl tase towards enlightened architectural and iterior desing approaches that can positively affect people, patients and staff..

22/11/2008 TRUE

23/11/2008 the aspects of EBD, LEED and others are the natural part of the intuitive design process … and should within each designers ”area of expertise”

24/11/2008 Good thoughts. The hospital I work for has many opportunities to to put your thoughts in to practice.

25/11/2008 Following these “packaged philosophies” is a crutch for designers who lack the intellect to support their own design ideas with rational argument.

22/11/2008 I’ve found Lean methods lead to very creative, innovative and patient-centric solutions.