Healthcare Design - March 2018 - 30

High-backed seating in
the lobby at White Plains
Hospital Cancer Center
in White Plains, N.Y.,
designed by Perkins
Eastman, delivers visual
and acoustical privacy for
visitors and patients.

N E W E X P E C TAT I O N S

Much of the seating specified for healthcare is used in waiting areas,
where designs accommodate varying physical needs and social preferences-from private to communal-as well as the expectations of different
generations and cultures. For example, for Memorial Sloan Kettering's
Josie Robertson Surgery Center in New York, designers from Perkins
Eastman (New York) and Icrave (New York) incorporated flexible options, including clusters of sofas and lounge chairs, that allow large groups
and families to sit close together, says Maureen Carley-Vallejo, a principal
and senior healthcare interiors leader at Perkins Eastman (New York).
Additional options may include high-backed lounge seats that offer
some acoustical and visual privacy for those who desire a place to retreat.
"Healthcare environments need to acknowledge that one family could
be grieving near another family that is celebrating," says Tanya Paz, a San
Diego-based senior designer with Cama Inc., an interior design and experience consulting firm (New Haven, Conn.). "We lean on furniture to help

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MARCH 2018

HCDMAGAZINE.COM

us carve out areas that can support a variety of
experiences."
Seating also plays a part in making waiting
less of a passive activity thanks to new products,
such as lounge seats with integrated power outlets and USB ports that support mobile devices,
designed to foster connectivity and productivity. Another approach borrowed from hospitality design is the use of counter-height tables
and bar-height seats that allow visitors to perch
briefly or sit for longer periods to work or eat; as
a bonus, these pieces offer a comfortable seating
alternative for those with hip ailments. "A shift
in surface heights not only meets diverse patient
needs but also alters the topography of a space
and adds visual interest," says Crystal Martinez,
senior associate, creative director of interior design, at CO Architects (Los Angeles).
Seating in clinical areas and patient rooms is
being updated, too. For example, some healthcare organizations are replacing traditional
exam tables with patient recliners that flatten at
the touch of a button, making them more accessible for seniors and others with physical limitations. These furnishings also place patients and
clinicians at eye level, which puts patients at ease
and fosters communication.
Additionally, designers are recognizing the

© CHRIS COOPER, COURTESY PERKINS EASTMAN

of patients, families, and medical
staff for interiors that mirror life outside facilities' walls
is resulting in a healthcare design typology that's colored by retail, hospitality, and other design sectors. One
area that's been transformed by this shift is healthcare
seating, with designers looking to solutions used elsewhere to inspire offerings that facilitate desired human
connections and support a variety of group sizes. To
that end, manufacturers are stepping up with new seating options that are
visually refined and flexible while meeting healthcare's requirements for
durability and infection control.
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Healthcare Design - March 2018

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