DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR HOSPITALS

AND HOTELS

Saavi Natekar
Design VII
HOSPITALS
• Fire Safety
• Spatial Recquirements
FIRE SAFETY
 As per National Building Code (NBC) Hospital Buildings, Nursing Homes,
Sanatoriums have been categories under Group-C “Institutional Building” having
some high risk areas with special problems relates life risk of both ambulatory and
non-ambulatory patients.
 Horizontal exits or smoke barriers are required to sub-divide each storey of a
Hospital to provide an area of refuge on each floor. In case of emergency the
objectives should be “Keep the fire away from the Patient rather than more the
patient away from the fire”
• Vertical evacuation of patients within a health care facility is difficult and time consuming. Therefore
horizontal movement of patients is primary important.

• Each horizontal exit shall be provided with at least one fire & smoke check door with two hours fire barrier
walls. It is always preferable that the refuge floor space shall have direct connectivity to the fire escape
staircases/ramps for safe evacuation from the building.

• All required exits that serve as egress from hospitals or infirmary sections shall not be less than 2 M clear
width including patient bed room doors to permit transportation of patient on beds, litters or mattresses.
The minimum width of corridors serving patients bedrooms in buildings shall be 2.4 M.

• Service ducts / shafts shall be enclosed by walls of two hours doors of one hour fire rating. All such ducts/
shafts shall be properly sealed and fire stopped at all floor level.

• Dedicated A.H.U. shall b provided for individual floor with supply & return duct as far as possible Fire
Dumpers shall be provided in the supply and return ducts.

• A vent opening at the top of the service shaft shall be provided having between on-forth and onehalf of
the area of the shaft.
 MINIMUM ESSENTIAL FIRE SAFETY
MEASURES IN INSTITUTIONAL BUILDINGS
The basement if any should not be used as store room / material dumping / in patient ward or any other
purpose which will cause Fire / Smoke.

Lift shaft and stair lobby / landing shall be free from any obstacles / obstruction

Building should come into a modular by making corridors horizontal & vertical exits from the origin of the
fire place to a safe area easily and also by incorporating Fire & Smoke Check Door in the lobby approaching
to stairways and lift.

On site Emergency / Evacuation plan shall have to be prepared and update at regular interval.

Fire Notice, Fire order, Exit sign, Floor Nos. shall be displayed at conspicuous places as per requirements of
NBC Part IV.

Water Reservoir exclusively for fire fighting and Sprinkler system to be provided for all the floors & other
places / areas shall be made available as prescribed in National Building Code (NBC) Part IV.
SPATIAL REQUIREMENTS

 Entrance area
 Ambulatory care area
 Diagnostic services
 Intermediate care area
 Critical care area
 Therapeutic services
 Hospital support services 
 Administrative services 
Entrance: will comprise three independent entrance zones, namely: Main Entrance, In-Patient /Emergency,
Staff/Services Entrance.

Category of Ward
General ward 1 (Medical) including allied speciality 30
General ward 2 (Surgical) including allied speciality 30
Private ward (AC and Non AC) (optional) 9
Maternity ward 15
Pediatrics ward 6
Total No. of Beds 90

The intensive care services of the hospital will provide facilities for medical and surgical intensive care with bed
complement of 4 beds (4 percent of bed strength).

The critical care services will comprise facilities for medical and surgical emergencies with bed complement of 6 beds
(about 6 percent of bed strength).

The hospital services will comprise oi hospital kitchen, central sterile supply, hospital laundry, central medical cum
general stores and hospital mortuary.
AREA REQUIREMENTS

While applying 40 percent conversion factor over carpet area of 66 mz per bed, the covered area of the
hospital works out to 92.5 mz per bed.

Area requirement can thus be calculated with the above parameters assumed asunder:
Total hospital beds 100
Number of storeys 3

By placing 40 % of area on ground floor and remaining in 2 upper floors, Municipal regulations F. A. R 100
Ground coverage permitted 25 percent

Covered area per bed 92.5 m2

Total covered area 92.5 X100 = 9250 m2
40% of covered area 3700 m2

Since ground coverage allowed is 25 percent, plot area will be 4 times of 3700 mz,that is, 14800 mz or 1.48,
say, 1.5 hectare.
Circulation areas : not be more than 40 percent of the For multiple beds of a ward unit,
total floor area of the building. requirement of fitments are given
below:
Floor to Floor Height: 3m

Pharmacy: 5 percent of the total clinical’ visits to the

OPD in one session at the rate of 0.8 m2 / patient.

ICU: All beds in this unit are to be arranged in glazed

cubicles with centrally located nurses station. The area
per bed in this unit should be 10.5mzto cater for free
movement check against infection and at time
utilization of specialized bulky equipment.

Patient Conveniences (Sanitary requirements):

Toilet for an individual room (single or two bedded) in
a ward unit shall be 3.5 m2 comprising a bath, awash
basin and WC. Toilet common to serve two such rooms
shall be 5.25 m2 to comprise a bath, a WC in separate
cubicle and awash basin
TYPICAL WORKFLOW IN A HOSPITAL
HOTELS
FIRE SAFETY
 All buildings and particularly buildings having more than one storey shall be provided with liberally
designed safe-fire-resistant exists or escapes.
 The exits shall be so placed that they are always immediately accessible and each is capable of taking
all the persons on that floor as alternative escape routes may be rendered unsuitable and/or unsafe
due to fire.
 All vertical shafts/ducts meant for installing drainage pipes, plumbing, wiring and cabling, etc. shall be
effectively sealed at each floor. All vertical shafts/ducts including refuse chutes shall be enclosed by 2
hours fire-resisting enclosure. Where inspection doors, windows are necessary, these shall be of one
hour fire rating conforming to National Building Code of India 1983 (Part IV) Fire Protection.
 Kitchen rooms, laundry, linen stores, furniture storage rooms shall be of fire resisting construction,
and shall be provided with one hour fire resisting self-closing doors.
 Basements shall not be used for banquet halls or dance halls, unless one entire side of such basement
opens up directly to the open and also such halls including entire basement is fully sprinkled.
 The floors of exits shall be illuminated at all points including turning points, intersections of corridors
and passageways, staircases, landings and discharge exit at ground level. The intensity of lighting
throughout shall not be less than 10 lux measured at floor level.
AREA REQUIREMENTS

Guest Rooms: Rooms should not be less than the specified size. The area may include the vestibule and
other covered area within the room but exclude outdoor verandah/ balcony. Single occupancy rooms may
be 20 sq.ft. less.

Minimum size of bathroom in square feet: 30 -45 m2. 25% of bathrooms in 1 &2 Star hotels to have
western style WC

ROOM AND FACILITIES FOR THE DIFFERENTLY ABLED GUEST

At least one room for the differently abled guest with low height furniture, low peep hole, cupboard with
low clothe hangers, audible and visible (blinking light) alarm system and doorbell.

The door width of the room and bathroom for differently abled persons in existing hotels shall be 90 cm.

Fixed and anti – slip ramp to be provided in al l public areas.

KITCHEN / FOOD PRODUCTION AREA

Refrigerator with deep freezer

Segregated storage of meat, fish and vegetables
Tiled walls, non slip floors
Colour coded synthetic chopping boards
Ventilation system
Wet garbage area to be airconditioned.
Receiving areas and stores distinct from garbage area
Staff Rest Rooms
Staff locker Rooms
Toilet facilities
Separate Dining area & Facility
GUEST SERVICES

Dry cleaning / laundry

Tea / coffee making facility in the room
Shoe cleaning shoe horn & slippers
A public telephone on premises. Unit charges made known
Access to travel desk facilities
Health – Fitness and Barber’s Shop
Beauty Salon and Barber’s Shop
Florist
Utility shop / kiosk
Money changing facilities
Business Centre
Swimming Pool
Parking Facilities
Conference Facilities.
GUEST SERVICES

Dry cleaning / laundry

Tea / coffee making facility in the room
Shoe cleaning shoe horn & slippers
A public telephone on premises. Unit charges made known
Access to travel desk facilities
Health – Fitness and Barber’s Shop
Beauty Salon and Barber’s Shop
Florist
Utility shop / kiosk
Money changing facilities
Business Centre
Swimming Pool
Parking Facilities
Conference Facilities.
REFERENCES

 IS 12433 ( Part 2 ) :2001 (BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR HOSPITAL PLANNING)

 IS 6074: Code of Practice for Functional Requirements of hotels, restaurants and
other food service establishments
 Guidelines for approval of hotel projects and star classification of operational hotels By
Government of India, Ministry of Tourism.