Radboudumc focuses on sustainable healthcare with new main building 

On Monday, July 4, 7:00 a.m., the new main entrance in the new main building opened its doors to patients, staff and visitors. With this new sustainable Building A, the Radboudumc will be more compact, more flexible in use and will have a smaller ecological footprint. The single rooms and smart technologies give patients a lot of freedom and relieve the care staff. The design stimulates patient recovery both inside and outside the room: it is quiet where needed and challenges the patient where possible. 

The Board of Directors (Bertine Lahuis (chair) and Mark Janssen) greeting the first patients.

University Medical Center of the future

The entire campus will go from 480.000 m2 to 380.000 m2; resulting in a smaller and more compact campus. This reduction fits into the vision of the Medical Center on the healthcare of the future: a more compact and intensive use of our housing, use of state-of-the-art technology and other ways of collaborating  between teams.
 Bertine Lahuis, Chair of the Board: 'With this beautiful new building we are taking an important step towards sustainable care, the healthcare of the future. Care that keeps people and the environment as healthy as possible, that is meaningful and affordable, and that prefers to prevent rather than cure. 

Photo: The Central Hall

Healing environment

The principles for a healing environment have been incorporated into the design guidelines. The attention to light, view and to greenery contribute to this. Just like windows that can be opened, the further layout of the building and, for example, the hiding of sockets and equipment from view. The green environment around Building A and throughout the campus also invites people to take a walk whenever possible. Patients, visitors and staff alike make great use of these. In the design, much attention has also been paid to encounters. For this purpose, seats and cosy corners have been created that make (chance) encounters possible.

Photo: Park with 'secondhand' bridge, Eastside Radboudumc. Art object: 'Desert' (Toetje) in remembrance of the old patient kitchen located on this spot. 

Smart technology

The new Building A uses smart technology. This gives patients more autonomy and nursing work is more efficient. The patient can use a tablet to digitally control the curtains, temperature and position of the bed. There are also all kinds of digital facilities that are pleasant for the patient and make care more efficient and flexible for the healthcare staff. This can contribute to a reduction in the workload for nurses. Examples of the use of smart technology include special ‘care telephones’, digital door signs, tablets for the patient and intelligent care and call systems for the patient and care provider. In this way, alarms and calls are immediately directed to the right care provider, for example the nutrition assistant when it comes to a glass of water. 

Photo: Nurse explains use of tablet to a patient, Building P (lung infection unit)

Sustainability

Sustainability is very important to the Radboudumc. In the building plans, glass facades, floors and roofs are extra insulated to achieve the lowest possible energy consumption. Solar cells generate sustainable energy, thermal storage regulates the temperature of the hospital and dedicated wind turbines generate additional energy. This reduces consumption to a minimum in terms of CO2 emissions. Building A meets the highest sustainability requirements for the BREEAM excellent label; that is the highest rating for the sustainability of a building. 

Mark Janssen, member of the Executive Board, portfolio Construction: 'The Radboud university medical center offers specialist and highly complex care, in which research and education play a crucial role. Looking to the future, we see the demand for healthcare changing and the role of technology and innovation becoming even more important. With this new building and the way it has been designed, our medical center, with all my colleagues, will be ready to deal with these changes in the coming years and also to give direction to them.'

Photo: Every patient has his/her own room. (150 rooms)

Looking to the future

The move to Building A marks an important next step towards a compact campus, but it does not mean the end of the (construction) work. Among other things, the Research Tower and the Study Center (opposite the new main entrance) are still to be renovated and a large number of buildings will eventually be demolished. It is expected that construction activities will be completed around 2026.

Meanwhile, much has also been completed, renovated, moved and put into use and occupied in recent years. For example, the lung infection patients of Dekkerswald recently moved to the new Building P with the High Level Isolation Unit and the pulmonary rehabilitation moved to Building L; the Amalia Children's Hospital is being renovated, the new intensive care unit for newborns (NICU) has recently been taken into use and the 'Kiezel'(Pebble), a livingroom connected to the Dutch Ronald McDonald House Charities. In early 2021, the new Experience Center was also taken into use. 

Digital Magazine

On the occasion of the opening of our new Building A, we created a digital magazine. In it you will find not only more information about the new building and the stories behind it, but also information about other newly completed and commissioned buildings and departments, such as the state-of-the-art Building P. In addition, the Magazine shows what is involved in the relocation of a hospital. 

Photo: You can find the complete digital magazine Our New Campus here: www.radboudumc.nl/nieuwecampus! (English version in production)

Our Partners

The design, made in collaboration with EGM architecten, and the execution of the main building fully meet the wishes and requirements set by the Radboudumc. Project managers of the Radboudumc have worked intensively together for 5 years with the consortium FourCare consisting of Trebbe, Van Wijnen, ENGIE Services and Unica and many other suppliers.
 

Take a look on www.radboudumc.nl/nieuwecampus!  (English version in production)

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