EGM architects completed an innovative drive‑in operating room complex atop the visitor car park at Reinier de Graaf Hospital in Delft, offering a fast, accessible and patient‑centred model for outpatient surgery. Patients drive to a welcoming, homely lounge, change and walk under their own power into the operating theatres, then recover in a calm outpatient area before leaving — a low‑threshold pathway that preserves dignity and speeds return to daily life. The design maximises daylight and views (ORs include windows and nature imagery) and uses calming materials, a sedum roof garden and a special low‑stimulus eye lounge to reduce stress for patients and staff.

Technically ambitious, the rooftop complex rests on large springs to isolate vibrations from the car park below — a structural solution developed with Royal HaskoningDHV — and links to the main hospital by a four‑storey footbridge to ensure access to further clinical facilities. The interior uses matt glass partitions with timber framing, varied seating areas, and attention to wayfinding and comfort. The project responds to growing demand for ambulatory care and demonstrates a human‑scale, efficient alternative for short‑stay treatments while keeping loved ones close and maintaining clinical connectivity.

Design: EGM architects
Photography: StijnStijl