Book excerpt: It is now widely recognized that the physical environment has an impact on the physiology, psychology, and sociology of those who experience it. When designing a critical care unit, the demands on the architect or designer working together with the interdisciplinary team of clinicians are highly specialized. Good design can have a hugely positive impact in terms of the recovery of patients and their hospital experience as a whole. Good design can also contribute to productivity and quality of the work experience for the staff. Design for Critical Care presents a thorough and insightful guide to the very best practice in intensive care design, focusing on design that has been successful and beneficial to both hospital staff and hospital patients. By making the connection between research evidence and design practice, D. Kirk Hamilton and Mardelle McCuskey Shepley present an holistic approach that outlines the future for successful design for critical care settings.