Health care facility design studies and post-occupancy evaluation

Note: The scope for this NOI (originally published on September 17, 2024) was updated by the responsible SDO on January 21, 2025.

1.1 General

This Standard provides requirements and guidance for a consistent approach on how to plan and conduct a study to evaluate different HCF design features while ensuring that the resources required and level of rigour match the undertaking.

Note: The focus of these studies should be aligned with the objectives of the funding agency or study sponsor to address HCF planning or design issues or to learn from elements of the completed projects to inform future projects. The study can include planning, design, and construction (PDC) studies and post-occupancy evaluations (POE).

1.2 Application

This Standard applies to HCF projects, including new construction or redevelopments of existing facilities (e.g., additions, renovations), and is intended to be used by HCFs providing services regardless of type, level of care, size, or location.

1.3 Inclusions

This Standard is developed for a broad range of users, including, but not limited to, HCFs, funding agencies, governments, professional designers and planners, architects, engineers, infection prevention and control professionals, health care teams and clinical staff, vendors, researchers, and internal and external evaluators.

This Standard supports interdisciplinary design teams (IDT) for an HCF project as defined in CSA Z8000 that includes key members of the HCF as subject matter experts: administrators, health care program and clinical planners, clinical staff, infection prevention and control professionals, facility operations and maintenance staff, patients and their families, and non-clinical support staff. Other key members of the IDT may include non-HCF individuals (e.g., professional designers, vendors, funding agencies).

1.4 Climate change mitigation and adaptation

This standard incorporates studies which assess the effectiveness, efficacy and implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation. 

1.5 Clinical practice and operations

This Standard is not intended for the evaluation of clinical practice or facility operations except as it influences the planning, design, and construction process (i.e., third-party operational reviews)

1.6 Terminology

In this Standard, “shall” is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the Standard; “should” is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and “may” is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the Standard.

Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate it from the explanatory text of informative material.

Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements.

Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (non-mandatory) to define their application.