A growing body of research suggests that when hospital rooms boast natural elements or views of nature, postoperative stays are generally shorter, fewer pain medications are dispensed, and patients are discharged sooner than those with views of a blank wall. Improvements to patient well-being are just one reason why the healthcare industry has embraced mass timber construction. “Occupying a mass timber building with exposed structural elements can make people feel supported,” says Erica Spiritos, Vice President and Director of Preconstruction at Timberlab. Further, mass timber-framed buildings reduce carbon emissions and are comparable in strength to buildings of steel or concrete. 

Swinerton, a contracting firm with a 133-year history, created a playbook to dissect some of the healthcare industry’s unique challenges and how mass timber construction can help solve for them. Content includes:

• HIPAA and acoustic requirements
• Fire prevention and suppression
• Infection control