Designing the future hospital: an architect's perspective.

Drawing on the experience of Circle Hospital in Bath and Maggie's Centre in Manchester, as well as projects for the University of Iowa and Cleveland Clinic in the USA, we explain a design process rooted in research, which seeks to bring the natural world into the healthcare environment to maximise its therapeutic benefits, is explored. We discuss how a well-designed hospital can aid patient recovery, while creating buildings that are operationally efficient, environmentally sustainable and flexible to respond to evolving technologies, priorities and treatments.