The Methodology Knowledge Base (KB) is created by the Healthcare Construction and Activation Community (HCAC) as a structured reference for planning, designing, building, and activating healthcare facilities.
The introduction explains what a knowledge base is, who it serves, how it is organized, and the non-negotiable principles that govern every downstream decision, from a board-level capital strategy through the first patient admitted on go-live day.
The knowledge base is organized into nine perspectives, each with its own articles. Every article is authored once and reached through every perspective it belongs to. The articles within each perspective are organized into Parts → Chapters → Articles.
| Topics | Parts | Chapters | Articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase of Work | 1 | 7 | 114 |
| Building Systems | 8 | 32 | 84 |
| Clinical Service Line | 12 | 48 | 178 |
| Delivery Model | 5 | 25 | 27 |
| Facility Type | 4 | 16 | 55 |
| Stakeholder Role | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Sustainability & Resilience | 1 | 6 | 8 |
| Facility Lifecycle | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| Risk & Safety | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 39 | 146 | 481 |
The delivery lifecycle lens: strategy → planning → design → construction → activation → go-live → stabilization.
The engineering lens: architectural, structural, mechanical/HVAC, electrical & power resilience, plumbing & medical gas, fire protection & life safety, ICT/low-voltage, vertical transport. The designer's/engineer's entry point — each system carries its own standards, design logic, and healthcare-specific depth (med-gas, HVAC pressure regimes).
The department/service lens: ED, ICU, surgery & procedural, imaging, L&D + NICU, oncology, behavioral health, laboratory, pharmacy, inpatient units, outpatient, support & logistics.
The contracting lens: DBB, DB, CMAR, IPD, P3 — one-Part-per-delivery model. Each model implies its own playbook narrative — how the job is structured, procured, and run.