The strategic role of cross-sectoral research in the design of hospitals: the contribution of TESIS* research center

Abstract

The design of buildings, such as hospitals where the complexity concerns as much the interpretation of the requirements framework as their required permeability to the ever accelerated dynamics of bio-technological innovations proposed by the market, requires continuous research which in- creasingly goes beyond the boundaries of the architectural discipline as it is currently codified. Constant dialogue with what scientific research produces in the international sphere and with culturally differentiated approaches becomes an imperative for those – professionals or institutions – wishing to operate with real time up-dating in order to increase the performance quality of their products. Scientific organizations that set themselves these objectives cannot disregard the constraints imposed by this scenario, with the consequent require- ment to actively position themselves in international networks which, with their constant cross-sectoral production, fuel the debate on foreseeable trends and the implications that all this determines with regard to design. The following article seeks to represent the coordinates of this new operating scenario of scientific research, highlighting the methods and the operating practices put in place by the TESIS Interuniversity Centre for Re- search of Florence.