How healing architecture works: advanced door technology for oncology centre in Barcelona
The Sant Joan de Déu hospital in Barcelona is opening the first paediatric oncology centre in Spain: the SJD Paediatric Cancer Centre Barcelona (PCCB) is one of the largest paediatric oncology centres in all of Europe. It is prepared to admit around 400 children, to offer them the best possible treatment and care. GEZE is supporting the building's healing architecture with advanced door technology.
Accessibility and safety for the children’s hospital
Automatic sliding doors in the entrance area of the SJD Paediatric Cancer Centre Barcelona © Pau Esculies / GEZE Iberia
In hospitals in general, and at the Sant Joan de Déu (SJD) children’s hospital in particular, a key objective is to provide the best possible treatment in the best possible environment. This includes providing surroundings where patients and personnel alike can move freely and safely.
At the SJD Paediatric Cancer Centre Barcelona (PCCB), another goal was to design wards and corridors to be open and friendly wherever possible, while ensuring they could be locked securely at key locations.
These factors also needed to be taken into consideration when planning the door systems:
- Fire protection: hospitals are subject to strict fire protection regulations and standards, intended to ensure that both patients and personnel are protected in case of a fire. Because of this, the door technology must conform to corresponding fire protection classes, and provide effective partitioning in case of an emergency.
- Emergency exit protection: According to statutory requirements, escape routes in hospitals must be clearly marked and easily accessible. Because of this, the door technology must be designed to facilitate quick evacuations in case of an emergency, for instance via automatic electric strikes or panic locks. Reliable emergency exit protection via suitable exit systems is also essential.
- Hygiene: In hospitals and other healthcare facilities, hygiene is a top priority. Because of this, all of the components used in door technology need to be easy to clean and disinfect. In addition, the use of non-contact electric strikes or automatic sliding doors is recommended to reduce contact with door handles and facilitate barrier-free access.
- Accessibility: In order to allow all people equal access to public buildings regardless of their physical condition, accessibility is not only an ethical obligation, but also required by law. Because of this, door systems must conform to accessibility standards and requirements, for instance through wide door openings, low thresholds and automatic electric strikes.
- Discretion: In hospitals, maintaining a quiet atmosphere and safeguarding patient privacy are essential to patients’ well-being and recovery. Soft-closing doors or smartdoor systems help create a quiet and discrete environment.
What is healing architecture?
The goal of healing architecture is to promote health and well-being through building design. By taking scientific insights into account along with the needs of all building users, healing architecture is intended to support patients’ healing process, improve well-being for personnel and family members, and at the same time improve the effectiveness of medical care.
LEARN MORE ABOUT HEALING ARCHITECTUREAccessible and secure access to the PCCB oncology centre
ECdrive technology ensures comfortable passing through and creative freedom in the outpatient wards. © Pau Esculies / GEZE Iberia
Automatic sliding doors in many areas of the PCCB paediatric hospital were equipped with ECdrive or Slimdrive SL NT drives. These allow for accessible and non-contact movement throughout the hospital, making them the right choice for hygiene reasons as well – especially in sensitive areas like the PCCB oncology centre in Barcelona.
The hospital selected the ECdrive for the entrance area. The automatic linear sliding door system easily integrates into the building design, thanks to its low height and clear style. It impresses with low maintenance requirements and a long service life even in high-traffic areas, making it the perfect choice for large health care centres like the Sant Joan de Déu.
GC 307+ non-contact push button enables hygienic activation of automatic doors. © Pau Esculies / GEZE Iberia
Hermetic sealing thanks to hygienic doors
The heart of the new centre, where the operating rooms, X-ray rooms, and specialised area for immunocompromised patients are located, is equipped with highly hygienic doors and the Powerdrive PL-HT automatic linear sliding door system, specially created for large and heavy doors in areas with increased hygiene requirements. They are accessible, low-contact and easy to clean, making them an excellent choice for highly sensitive areas. A hermetic seal is created by lowering and pressing the door leaf against the frame structure. In addition, a full circumferential sealing system with sealing corners reduces the air permeability of the closed sliding door system.
LEARN MORE ABOUT HYGIENIC DOORS
Hygienic and accessible door opening thanks to radar movement detectors
In areas with high hygiene requirements, the GC 307+ non-contact proximity switch also makes it possible to activate automatic doors without actually touching them. The radar movement detector detects persons and objects within a detection area of 10 to 60 cm, allowing the doors to be opened effortlessly, hygienically, d accessibly. In addition, the scanning ranges are adjustable to optimally adapt the sensors to the prevailing ambient conditions and user needs, so doors do not open unnecessarily each time someone passes by, for instance.
Safety and discretion despite an open design inside
Multiple factors play a role in the design inside the oncology centre: here as well, ensuring a barrier-free environment is a key priority. The indoor climate, hygiene, and the energy efficiency of the building are also relevant factors.
The powerful Powerturn swing door drive is used in corridors and rooms where heavy fire protection doors need to be moved. It is particularly well-suited for large and heavy door leaves, and allows for large opening widths as well, like those needed in hospital operation.
Additional advantages of the Powerturn for the hospital:
- To ensure smooth and safe operation depending on applicable needs and usage areas, the opening and closing speeds, as well as the closing force are individually adjustable from EN4-7.
- The low energy function ensures doors open and close at reduced speeds, so that they fulfil the highest safety requirements.
- Motorised support for manual door opening via the servo function is an advantage in particular for users with restricted mobility.
- Obstacle detection stops the opening or closing process once an obstacle is detected, to avoid potential accidents and damage.
Good to know: the Powerturn F/R can be installed for escape and rescue routes at required locations.
GEZE delivered a large number of automatic drive solutions for multiple areas of the SJD Paediatric Cancer Centre Barcelona. In addition, the company helped create smart access points without architectural barriers, and even air tight solutions in areas with specific hygiene requirements. By doing so, GEZE helped improve quality and safety for all patients and employees of the hospital.
Birgit Zondler, Managing Director of GEZE IberiaKey Facts SJD Paediatric Cancer Centre Barcelona
– Designed by the architectural firm PINEARQ, under the leadership of Alberto de Pineda
– The PCCB building is 14,000 square metres in size
– It is directly connected with the Sant Joan de Déu hospital
– The paediatric oncology centre covers five floors
– 70 % of the area is used to provide medical care, and 30 % is used for research and development
– The health centre has a total of 37 single rooms, 8 transplant chambers, 26 outpatient care stalls and 21 outpatient care departments.
