Combining flexibility, performance and continuity of service with the highest standards of energy efficiency of the building-plant system, reducing environmental impact, in Køge, an urban centre south of Copenhagen, Denmark. Politecnica's expertise in the field of healthcare and hospital structures, applied in the Danish context for the extension of one of the largest hospital facilities in Europe.
The new Zealand University Hospital in Køge, Denmark, is a major project. By 2024 it will be the largest hospital in the region and among the biggest in Northern Europe. It involves building a new 114,000 square metre hospital block in addition to the original structure, with 789 beds.
The complex will be a hospital-university centre of excellence in biomedical science research, housing high-tech departments and teaching areas for university and conference uses. A balanced and diversified design of the facades integrates the structure with its natural surroundings, thus making the Hospital clearly recognisable to patients, doctors and visitors.
The project represents a paradigm in BIM design in terms of collaboration between client, building contractor and design team.
The existing buildings are integrated into a compact, efficient and flexible architectural and functional solution. The functional areas are organised as autonomous gears which, through automation, logistics, computerisation and flows, are "discreetly" in synergy and ready to guarantee patient management with processes based on intensity of care. Pre-fabrication, standardisation and modularity have also led to cost optimisation.
The new building will house all the medical, emergency and research departments: the new Zealand University Hospital will become the leading Hospital Centre in the Region of Zealand and one of the largest hospitals in Northern Europe. The hospital's architectural concept unites the existing hospital with the new building, expressing the concept of a 'hospital within a hospital'. All departments can be accessed from the hall, which has been extended with new functions and transformed into the new main atrium of the University Hospital.
The new University Hospital in Køge is designed in line with the Building Regulations 2018, also adopting the advanced Building Class 2020 standard on a voluntary basis. The design combines flexibility, performance and continuity of service, pursuing the highest standards of energy efficiency of the building-plant system, reducing environmental impact and aiming to achieve DGNB SILVER certification. Integration and respect for the environment are guaranteed by the inclusion of large internal green courtyards and the creation of a large lake and various waterways. These are the sustainability criteria used:
The design for the new facility originates from the linear organisation of the existing hospital, built around a simple, general traffic system with gardens and green waiting areas. Each transport route connects to a square with individual gardens, which are easy for patients, relatives and staff to experience.
The new facility is closely linked to the two adjacent population centres of Køge and Copenhagen by a number of infrastructures:
Highway E20 and State Road 151 connect directly to Copenhagen
The hospital is about a 5-minute walk from Olby station, which can be reached from Copenhagen in a few minutes by train.
The hospital is served by several public urban and interurban lines
Bicycle paths lead to the hospital, equipped with several protected bicycle parking areas.