In addition to traditional academic and research roles, the Institute for Health and Wellness Design provides provider and community services based on our expertise in planning and design. Professional consulting services can provide through our Design Services Center.
Design Service Center
Our Institute Design Service Center can provide support for the healthcare community through simulation modeling, planning, and design assists to healthcare organizations, architects, and other practitioners.
An example of these capabilities is our recent work with a regional healthcare system and architectural firm in the planning of expanded emergency services. Our faculty provided simulation modeling services to determine bed need requirements, space program and design assistance to identify the preferred plan to meet the hospital’s needs.
Through the Design Service Center, we can structure a proposal to respond to specific requests for proposals or to provide long-term project support services. We can structure service agreements based on estimated time and expenses or on other methods to meet the client’s needs.
Tenwek Hospital
Over the past decade, faculty and students have worked with Engineering Ministries International to support planning and design work at Tenwek Missionary Medical Center in Bomet, Kenya. This work has included on-site assistance in the planning of inpatient care, emergency, orthopedic, and heart facilities. Students in our 731 Systems class have also aided through design studies of specific hospital problems.
Tenwek Mission Hospital has provided comprehensive healthcare services to western Kenya for over fifty years. Our most recent assistance has included programming of a new heart hospital addition to the campus. Final architectural development of the project is being implemented by our affiliate member firm Health Facilities Group.
The Haiti Project
KU Architecture Professor Chad Kraus is a recognized expert on rammed-earth technologies. What KU proposed to MN was a community center that would provide solid, rammed-earth perimeter walls to protect against projectiles during hurricanes and a flexible but powerful bamboo roof truss system to resist seismic and wind loads.
In the fall of 2017 twelve KU architecture and design students enrolled in a special topic course to design and establish a strategy to build a 3,600 square foot community center in Torbeck. Between August and December the students produced a range of design solutions and consulted with a number of technical and cultural consultants, including seven engineering students from the American University of the Caribbean to assist the KU team in building a demonstration wall for the community center on site in Torbeck. Between December 28 and January 10 the KU team was on-site in Torbeck to initiate the building phase of the project. A rammed-earth demonstration wall was constructed by the KU and Haitian teams at the MN birthing center.