Steve Meuschke, vice president of operations for Kansas City, Mo.-based McCarthy Building Co., offered insights into the future of outpatient-based healthcare developments to the Kansas City Business Journal.
Here are some ways developers are building facilities for the future:
1. Construction teams are using virtual and augmented reality to provide 3D models of facilities before they're complete. For example, in Olathe, Kan., a team developed a medical examiner's office using 3D models to tweak plans with feedback from the examiners. By making tweaks before the project was built, the firm was able to avoid delays and additional expenses.
2. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a greater reliance on off-site production and prefabrication, according to Norman Morgan, principal at HKS Architects. Because sections of buildings can be built and shipped to the construction site, it decreases the amount of time needed to build the building section on-site. He said: "In many ways, the benefits of off-site production and prefab are coming to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic. With health and safety concerns a high priority on every jobsite, off-site production has proven an effective way to minimize worker interaction."