National Hospital Week Brian Uhlenhake Shares Healthcare Engineering Design Insights
In celebration of National Hospital Week, we are featuring Brian Uhlenhake, one of our Senior Mechanical Engineers with over 14 years of experience in the healthcare engineering industry. He has been an important component in the construction process for numerous U.S. Green Building Council LEED projects, including the first LEED Gold hospital in Ohio, Diley Ridge Medical Center, and has managed healthcare projects with budgets as large as $200 million.
Whether he is focused on sound attenuation, energy conservation, or the interior design of exposed HVAC equipment, Brian integrates both functional and aesthetic considerations into every design.
Read more about Brian’s healthcare engineering expertise, his most inspiring healthcare project, and what he enjoys most about designing healthcare spaces that enhance facility performance and the patient experience.
What important factors do you consider when designing a healthcare space that will improve the performance of the facility and the patient experience?
“Factors that I consider for every healthcare project include energy efficiency, because of the major energy usage of these critical 24/7 facilities. We also want to ensure that designs are sustainable and resilient, and that the systems will be easy to maintain and reliable for many years to come. HVAC systems play an important role in maintaining indoor air quality and satisfying occupant comfort, so it is critical to provide adequate heating, cooling, humidification, filtration, thermostat zoning, and air distribution to hospital spaces so we can ensure patient comfort.”
After 14 years with HEAPY, what is the most inspiring healthcare project you have worked on and why?
“I have had the privilege to be part of a lot of memorable projects over the years, but Mercy Health West Hospital was one of my favorites. I worked on this project for nearly two years after graduating college. It was a great learning experience working under the Senior Engineer and learning almost every type of department within this new hospital. Additionally, there were a lot of neat design features that helped me understand how to be more innovative with my future designs.”
What are your favorite aspects of working on a healthcare project?
“It is rewarding to know that the healthcare projects we design are benefiting our families, friends, neighbors, and communities. I enjoy the daily challenges that come with healthcare design. No two jobs are the same, which keeps every project interesting and exciting. I enjoy designing and creating solutions to projects, but most importantly, I enjoy seeing these buildings built and seeing the benefits that these facilities will provide to communities for years to come.”
Wednesday, May 12, 2021 / CATEGORIES: Uncategorized Posted by: Heapy