Needs and opportunities for improving the health, safety, and productivityof medical research facilities

Medical research facilities, indeed all the nation's constructed facilities , must be designed, operated, and maintained in a manner that supports the health, safety, and productivity of the occupants. The National Constructio n Goals, established by the National Science and Technology Council, envisi on substantial improvements in occupant health and worker productivity. The existing research and best practices case studies support this conclusion, but too frequently building industry professionals lack the knowledge to d esign, construct, operate, and maintain facilities at these optimum levels. There is a need for more research and more collaborative efforts between m edical and facilities engineering researchers and practitioners in order to attain the National Construction Goals. Such collaborative efforts will si multaneously support attainment of the National Health Goals. This article is the summary report of the Healthy Buildings Committee for the Leadership Conference: Biomedical Facilities and the Environment sponsored by the Nat ional institutes of Health, the National Association of Physicians for the Environment, and the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers on 1-2 November 1999 in Bethesda, Maryland, USA.