Healthcare Bim: A Computational Compliance Checking Method To Improve Accessibility In Healthcare Facilities

Current healthcare design often fails to meet the specific needs of patients-with-disabilities (PWD), leading to inaccessible environments. This study investigates combining rule-based-modeling techniques with algorithmic-parametric-modeling and Building-Information-Modeling (BIM) to enhance accessibility in healthcare facilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets standards to ensure accessibility for individuals with disabilities. We propose a framework that starts by creating a BIM model and developing an application to convert ADA standards into parametric objects and attributes within BIM. Custom applications then carry out computational-compliance-checks to detect non-compliant designs. A pilot study on restroom-accessibility demonstrated that the interface and applications effectively read the BIM model, calculated available wheelchair access spaces, compared them with ADA requirements, highlighted non-compliant areas, and generated result reports. This research is part of a larger project aimed at improving accessibility in healthcare facilities. The proposed healthcare-BIM method is expected to enhance ADA compliance design, leading to more accessible healthcare facilities.