Gene Yu

Thesis Name

Thesis Abstract

Hospitals are critical infrastructure during disasters, yet most tertiary hospitals continue to be designed primarily around routine operational requirements rather than extreme patient surge conditions. Consequently, many facilities experience significant spatial, functional, and operational constraints during disasters such as bushfires, floods, cyclones, pandemics, earthquakes, and mass-casualty incidents. Despite extensive research on hospital resilience and emergency management, the role of architectural planning and design flexibility in supporting disaster response remains underexplored.

This research investigates how architectural planning and design can enhance the capacity of tertiary hospitals to accommodate and manage disaster-related patient surges while maintaining operational continuity. Adopting a sequential mixed-methods approach, the study integrates quantitative patient surge modelling, architectural capacity analysis, and qualitative inquiry involving healthcare professionals, emergency managers, and hospital planners. The research examines the relationship between projected surge demand and the spatial adaptability of critical hospital departments, including emergency, intensive care, imaging, operating, and inpatient services.

The study aims to develop an evidence-based Architectural Planning and Design Flexibility Framework for tertiary hospitals in disaster-prone regions. By integrating perspectives from architectural design, disaster and emergency management, and healthcare operations and management, the research bridges disciplines that have traditionally been examined in isolation. The resulting framework will provide practical guidance for the planning, design, and future adaptation of hospitals capable of responding effectively to uncertainty, strengthening healthcare-system resilience, and supporting continuity of care during future disasters and public health emergencies.

Why My Research is Important/Impacts

Climate change, population growth, and the increasing frequency of disasters are placing unprecedented pressure on healthcare systems worldwide. Hospitals are expected to remain operational during bushfires, floods, cyclones, pandemics, earthquakes, and mass-casualty incidents; however, many facilities continue to be designed around routine operational requirements rather than extreme surge conditions. This creates a critical gap between healthcare infrastructure capacity and real-world disaster demands.

This research seeks to address that gap by developing an evidence-based Architectural Planning and Design Flexibility Framework for tertiary hospitals. The framework will provide practical guidance for integrating adaptability, scalability, and resilience into hospital planning and design, enabling healthcare facilities to respond more effectively to sudden increases in patient demand while maintaining continuity of care.

The anticipated impact extends across multiple sectors. For healthcare providers, the research will support improved emergency preparedness, patient safety, and operational continuity during disasters. For architects, planners, and infrastructure agencies, it will offer a structured approach to designing hospitals that can adapt to changing clinical, technological, and environmental conditions throughout their lifecycle. For governments and policymakers, the findings will contribute to evidence-informed infrastructure investment and resilience planning.

By bridging healthcare operations, disaster management, and architectural design, this research advances an emerging field of healthcare infrastructure resilience. Ultimately, it aims to support the development of hospitals that are better prepared for uncertainty, more responsive to community needs, and more capable of protecting population health during future disasters and public health emergencies.