Pathways and Crossroads: Hallway Design Fundamentals for a Hospital

Whenever I design the internal hallways of a healthcare space, the first thing I ask is, “Exactly who will be passing this space?” This question defines how high and how wide the hallway should be. It may come as a surprise, but it matters quite a lot in design.

While the height and width of the hallway may seem mundane and a secondary affair (after all, it’s the medical departments that are often touted as the major places of design work in these projects), they do have a significant role in organizing and rationalizing the traffic flow of the healthcare facility. Hallways are the connectors of departments in the hospital. They should be done right because an inadequate corridor system will face the consequences of potential traffic and accidents in the healthcare facility.

Perception and hallway height

How wide and high the hallway is affects the perception of the people walking in it (this can be positive or negative, depending on all sorts of factors). For example, a corridor with a ceiling height that is twice its width will often feel like one is walking in a tunnel (and thus should be avoided). The tunnel effect also happens when the ceiling height is very low! It is often the case that higher ceiling heights make an interior space feel more pleasant and comfortable, but this has to be balanced with the physical constraints of the project.

Traffic and hallway width

In terms of corridor width, the type and volume of traffic matter—the major travel path of a healthcare facility should be wide enough so that the place does not look crowded, while more private areas of the facility will have smaller corridors. Think of it like a city with highways, roads, and alleys—higher traffic spaces need wider corridors, and lower traffic spaces, smaller corridors.

As an example, a typical patient hallway in a hospital that expects patient beds and stretchers to be traversing it will have a recommended width of about 2.45 meters. This is due to the calculation that the space needed for a patient bed with one or two attendants pushing it will occupy a width of about 1.20 m for one-way travel, so a two-way corridor will be 1.20 m + 1.20 m = 2.40 meters with a 0.05 meter excess for more space.

Personally, I often use 2.50 meters for corridors in patient wards, but if the space allows it, this can be 3.0 meters to provide more room to navigate. Corridors that do not expect patient beds can be smaller but this should be considered and analyzed carefully during the planning stage. (Always talk to your medical clients for their insights!)

Clear space

And let’s not forget: it should be clear space; i.e., the travel path does not get obstructed by columns, chairs, benches, and others such objects. So, if the corridor also has waiting areas, make sure to consider this in your planning.

Overall, having a good corridor system is like having a city with a good road network—faster travel, fewer accidents, and a more efficient journey inside the healthcare facility.

"The major travel path of a healthcare facility should be wide enough so that the place does not look crowded, while more private areas of the facility will have smaller corridors. Think of it like a city with highways, roads, and alleys."