Design and execution of a 1,350 m² specialized chemical emergency department at Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran, integrating treatment bays, isolation, controlled circulation, support spaces and contamination-control requirements.
The brief, context, and coordinated thinking behind the work.
Chemical emergency department design requires a different level of coordination from a conventional emergency-care environment because patient treatment must be considered together with contamination control, isolation, decontamination and protected staff circulation. ESPO designed and executed the 1,350 m² Chemical Emergency Department at Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran in 2015. According to project information provided by ESPO, the facility was introduced as Iran’s first and only dedicated chemical emergency department at the time of the project.
The department was planned for the assessment and treatment of patients affected by hazardous chemical exposure. The project brief required a clear relationship between treatment areas, isolation spaces, decontamination functions, staff-support zones and access routes so that potentially contaminated movement could be managed separately from cleaner clinical areas. The architectural and engineering solution therefore had to combine emergency-care speed with a controlled spatial sequence.
The spatial organization separated treatment bays from supporting and controlled-access areas and provided dedicated isolation functions for patients who could present a contamination risk. The open treatment zone uses repeated clinical bays with privacy curtains and fixed partitions, allowing staff to supervise multiple beds while preserving defined patient areas. Circulation routes and access points were arranged to support rapid movement between patient-care and support functions.
Project information supplied by ESPO identifies negative-pressure ventilation and HEPA filtration among the specialized requirements considered for contamination control. Controlled access, isolation capability and surfaces suitable for frequent cleaning and disinfection were also treated as part of the department’s operational criteria. These requirements influenced both the technical coordination and the choice of durable interior finishes.
The completed interior is organized around a clear green-and-neutral visual language that helps define circulation and treatment zones. Modular treatment bays, washable wall surfaces, integrated lighting and ceiling systems, glazed elements and clinical support points create a consistent environment across the department. The repeated green floor bands reinforce movement paths, while ceiling details and illuminated graphic panels introduce a calmer visual character within a highly technical healthcare setting.
In addition to the principal treatment hall, the project includes enclosed rooms, controlled-access doors, clinical corridors, workstations and support areas required for staff operations. The project imagery also documents dedicated room entrances, treatment bays, controlled-access corridors and staff-support points within the same design language.
ESPO’s role covered the coordinated design and execution of this specialized healthcare environment, bringing together architectural planning, interior fit-out and the technical requirements described in the project brief. The completed department provides a structured setting for chemical-emergency response with identifiable treatment zones, isolation and support functions, controlled circulation and an integrated interior identity. The project reflects ESPO’s experience in designing and delivering complex hospital spaces where architecture and operational safety must be developed together.
How the team translated project constraints into a clear and deliverable response.
Creating a specialized emergency environment where rapid patient care could be coordinated with decontamination, isolation, contamination control, protected staff circulation and the technical requirements of hazardous-chemical exposure.
ESPO developed a zoned healthcare layout with repeated treatment bays, isolation and controlled-access functions, staff-support areas and coordinated interior and technical systems. The project information also identifies negative-pressure ventilation and HEPA filtration among the specialized contamination-control requirements.
The completed 1,350 m² department provides an organized clinical environment with defined treatment bays, isolation and support functions, controlled circulation and a consistent interior identity for specialized chemical-emergency response.
Selected views, details, and stages from the project.
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