Flexibility: beyond the buzzword-practical findings from a systematic literature review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Architecture
• Building Design
• Facility Management

Background:

• Health buildings face obsolescence due to rapid technological and functional changes.
• Existing flexibility strategies often lack clear definitions and measurable outcomes.
• This research addresses the need for effective future-proofing in Australian health infrastructure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify practical, cost-effective, design-related strategies for future-proofing Australian health department buildings.
• To move beyond the concept of 'flexibility' to actionable methods for accommodating future change.
• To provide a framework for exploring future-proofing in developed countries.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a systematic literature review to define flexibility and adaptability in building design.
• Identified and analyzed 19 case studies showcasing various future-proofing strategies.
• Developed a classification matrix to assess different approaches to building flexibility.

Main Results:

• Inconsistent terminology and lack of quantifiable assessment methods hindered analysis.
• Key future-proofing strategies were identified, classified, and evaluated for relevance.
• The study highlighted the need for standardized definitions and evaluation criteria.

Conclusions:

• Rigorous definitions of flexibility, adaptability, and related terms are crucial for comparing future-proofing strategies.
• Local context significantly influences strategy adoption and success.
• Long-term evaluation, including lifetime facility costs, is essential, with older projects needing assessment against these criteria.