HDSS

A Hospital Design Support System architecture

Journal Article (2026)
Author(s)

Zhuoran Jia (Guangzhou Urban Planning Design & Survey Research Institute, TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)

Pirouz Nourian (University of Twente)

Peter Luscuere (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)

Cor Wagenaar (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Research Group
Environmental & Climate Design
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dibe.2026.100916 Final published version
More Info
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Publication Year
2026
Language
English
Research Group
Environmental & Climate Design
Journal title
Developments in the Built Environment
Volume number
26
Article number
100916
Downloads counter
57
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Abstract

Hospital layout design plays a crucial role in ensuring operational efficiency. This study presents a Hospital Design Support System, a data-driven framework that integrates the Four-Step Transportation Model, Discrete-Event Simulation, and Exploratory Network Analysis to systematically assess hospital layouts. The HDSS evaluates four key operational criteria: spatial crowdedness, patient waiting times, patient walking distances, and difficulty in wayfinding. Hospitals exhibit spatial and operational characteristics akin to small cities and factories, making transportation planning and Discrete-Event Simulation highly applicable in evaluating hospital layout performances in terms of the four operational criteria. Exploratory Network Analysis further reveals the inherent structural tendencies that impact hospital efficiency and resilience. Additionally, evaluation mechanisms, including aggregation, relativisation, and interpretation, translate disaggregated simulation outputs into actionable metrics, enabling comparative assessment of design alternatives. This study contributes a systematic approach to hospital layout evaluation, offering valuable insights for architects and policymakers aiming to enhance hospital layout design.