Apr 5, 2023 _ news

Jervy Zhu Presents at China’s HCDE Conference

GBBN Principal and Managing Director of our China office, Jervy Zhu, AIA, was recently invited to present at China Hospital Construction & Development Conference and Exhibition (HCDE), where he shared insights on the health-generating design strategies used for Norton Healthcare’s Novak Center for Children’s Health.

The annual HCDE conference is mounted by the China Health Ministry Healthcare Management Institute, a state-level think tank, and Healthcare Architecture and Equipment, one of China’s leading healthcare magazines. HCDE is the largest, and most comprehensive exhibition for healthcare operators, administrators, manufacturers, educators, architects, and designers in China. The expo aims at exhibiting China’s innovative healthcare architectural designs, as well as healthcare equipment and technology, innovation, and trends.

The expo’s theme this year was, “New Strategy, New Journey, New Vision.” Jervy’s presentation emphasized how the Novak Center’s salutogenic design strategy helps decrease stress levels patients and family members experience as they approach the building and during their visit. As Jervy explained in his presentation, the building’s shape, color, transparency, outdoor spaces, and pedestrian bridge were part of a strategy to help disrupt the anxiety people associate with typical healthcare facilities. “We used design to help promote a relaxation response, and help visitors feel like a visit to the doctor is something they can cope with and manage, emotionally.”

• Read more about the Novak Center for Children’s Health in China’s Contemporary Architecture magazine here.
• Learn more about Jervy here.
• Read more about our healthcare work here.