Collaborative architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (aeco) practice model for healthcare facilities in Thailand

Collaborative practices in architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO) are essential for delivering greener, safer, and higher-quality healthcare facilities. While its execution requires shared knowledge, perspectives, and values among key stakeholders, a joint forum to facilitate the seamless exchange of insights is somehow lacking. This research, therefore, aims to gather multistakeholder reflections and refine the AECO practice model for healthcare facilities. It employed a qualitative methodology, based on insights from eight public stakeholder forums held in Bangkok and subsequent thematic analysis. These forums brought together designers, construction managers, contractors, and facility managers to reflect on their professional experiences. The findings propose refinements to the AECO practice model by highlighting discipline-specific role adaptations across the facility lifecycle. For example, architects are repositioned as active collaborators throughout the lifecycle; interior and landscape architects are engaged earlier to optimize healing environments; construction managers and contractors take on specialized roles in addressing healthcare-specific complexities; and facility managers serve as key facilitators, bridging design, construction, and long-term operations. This research not only refines AECO practices but also creates a platform for stakeholders to share, learn, and empathize. Future research should explore the model's adaptability in other socio-cultural contexts outside of Thailand and further fine-tuning it.