We asked some of the best-known names in healthcare design for a few basic reminders and not-so-obvious tips to consider when building or expanding your facility. Here's what they had to say.

1. Measure twice, cut once. Sounds simple, right? It is. But perhaps the concept is easier said than done. Construction mistakes still occur and facility leaders will sometimes press on even after the errors — some of them obvious — become apparent. Curtis Chong, a principal with Boulder Associates in Boulder, Colo., knows of a surgeon who reached up to touch the ceiling in his newly finished OR. Ouch. Quick, fit that doc for a helmet. The lighting booms in that OR were going to hang low. Real low.

2. Stay local. Be sure your new space meets all local building requirements. The best way to do that is to work with a local architect, advises John Marasco, principal and chair of Marasco & Associates in Denver. He says you can't base your design ideas or additions on what a colleague did in another state. That state-of-the-art facility in Connecticut might be a nightmare to build in California.

3. Seek approval. Don't delay in getting your facility licensed by the state, certified by Medicare or accredited by a third-party organization, says Steve Dickerson, a principal at Eckert Wordell Architects in Kalamazoo, Mich. "These types of regulatory goals will affect how we design the surgery center," he says.

4. Consider your case mix. The types of procedures you hope to add and the number of rooms you want to host them in will directly determine your facility's space requirements and structural design, says Richard Ramer of Ramer Architecture in Santa Monica, Calif. For example, he says quality surgical lights weigh between 300 and 500 pounds. Light-framed buildings won't cut it.

5. Build for the future. New accessories, software and pieces of equipment could be on the market before your foundation dries, says Paul Stegenga, a principal with Stegenga+Partners in Alpharetta, Ga. Build in extra space for electrical panels and circuits so you don't have to add more later on. "The minute you put another piece of equipment in the OR, it generates a heat load," he says. "If the room can't accommodate the heat, you might have to deal with angry surgeons, or you may have to install a new mechanical unit on the roof." Neither option is great.

Mr. Stegenga says planning for the future extends beyond the OR doors. Prevent potential backups in patient flow by designing universal pre-op and post-op areas that can be used for either purpose. Also plan your support area to accommodate caseload projections five years from the time of construction. It's too difficult to expand these areas down the road, says Mr. Stegenga. How much support space should you allow for ORs you're planning to add? Mr. Chong figures you'll need about 3,500 square feet per planned room.

6. Nurture with nature. Environmentally friendly designs aren't yet commonplace in surgical construction. Still, going green doesn't necessarily mean you have to follow all the rules for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, says Mr. Marasco. Consider building interior spaces with aesthetically pleasing materials like slate and stone and try to incorporate natural light into your facility's design to give the halls a warmer feeling, adds Mr. Dickerson.

7. Try to relax. Measure your project's progress with a calendar, not a stopwatch. Patience may not be your best virtue, especially when physician-investors are counting the days until the first dividend check arrives, but realize architects do their best to get a project done on time and under budget. "Problems arise when we are overly optimistic when preparing to generate revenue according to an unrealistic, accelerated schedule," says Wade Taylor, principal architect at Wade Taylor & Associates Architects in Milwaukee.

8. Be the boss. Above all, remember that you're the one in control of costs for construction, says Mr. Stegenga.

"Administrators usually give me a puzzled look when I say that, but when we're doing the designing, bidding or building, the owner makes the decisions," he says. "The architect helps the owner decide where to spend the project's money, but owners must keep in mind that they're in control of the purse strings."