This session will review Texas A&M research on the calculation of building gross square footage for health care facility projects, including lessons learned about the need for precision and consistency in calculation methods, preliminary data results, and early conclusions about how the research results could affect space programming for health care projects. Time will be allowed for Q&A. This session will enable you to:

● Express how precision and consistency in area calculation methods can improve an organization's internal and external measurement comparisons.
● Apply the information provided when assessing which building components to include in net area calculations and which to include in gross square footage calculations.
● Discuss how and why area allocations in recent hospital designs have changed from traditional allocations for the same spaces.
● Apply techniques discussed to revise preparation and use of hospital space programming information for a particular facility.