Healthcare Design - January/February 2022 - 44

work remotely, providers are rethinking the way
space is used when employees do come on-site.
" People may not be in the offi ce full time if they
don't have patient-facing positions, so when
they are in, they're collaborating. Building in
more collaboration spaces is what we've been
focused on, " MSK's Dallal says, adding that energizing,
lounge-like environments are being created
for that purpose.
For those who remain on campus daily, a variety
of staff amenities are being embraced, as
well, the group says, with organizations especially
working to respond to the toll taken on
healthcare workers throughout the pandemic.
" [Clients are] creating amazing environments
that go beyond just a break room, " Beltran says,
with priority placed on dedicated food venues
and other respite space off erings. Ellingsen says
City of Hope is designing five floors of a new facility
with patios outside staff lounges.
In terms of the aesthetics of these spaces and
healthcare in general, the panel agrees that
despite enhanced awareness of the spread of
COVID-19 and other pathogens, design isn't
moving toward the institutional. Rather, it's the
opposite: residential. " [The residential design
trend] has always crept up and then gone back
down, but that request is now coming from
multiple clients, " Sickeler says,
In fact, Ellingsen has coined the term
" healthy-dential " as opposed to the popular
" resimercial " used for the fusion of residential
and commercial environments, to " cut out the
commercial " and place focus on healthcare.
44
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
The design of the inprogress
Lennar Comprehensive
Cancer Center
at City of Hope in Irvine,
Calif., features natural
lighting, wood details,
cleanable surfaces, and a
variety of seating options
upholstered in cleanable
textiles.
IN THE DETAILS
How that more residential approach is being applied to interiors is defi
ned by an eff ort to maintain cleanability while still being inviting to patients
who are potentially hesitant to visit healthcare spaces as the pandemic
persists. " It's trying to walk that fi ne line of warm and comfortable
and softer than it was before, because it's not easy [for patients] coming
back, " Ellingsen says.
That eff ort is inspiring new approaches to product specifi cation, as well.
At MSK, more resilient fl ooring is being used instead of carpet, but Dallal
and her colleagues are seeking out options that off er visual interest such as
a wood look in patterning like chevron or herringbone. " Things that give
you that residential feel, we're defi nitely doing more of. And we're looking
for products that allow us to do that, " she says. Sickeler adds that carpet
isn't disappearing, though, and is still being specifi ed for nonacute spaces.
" We're still using high-quality carpet ... the cleanability has proven carpet
to be very durable, " she says.
But when hard surfaces are specifi ed, Dallal says she's even more cognizant
of introducing other soft finishes-for example, in a recent surgical
waiting lounge project. " When we were doing that, we thought about the
furniture and fabrics and that they had to be extra plush, extra warm and
fuzzy, " she says. " Finding the right fabrics to balance that are a challenge in
the marketplace. We did fi nd them, but those are few and far between and
we'd love to see more of those options. "
Ellingsen adds that City of Hope has been exploring the use of more textured
vinyls on chair seats, for example, but combined with a softer, bleachcleanable
fabric on the seat back to achieve a higher level of warmth.
Additionally, Dallal discussed MSK's growing use of bleach-cleanable wallcoverings
to add visual interest to a space and celebrated new options being
introduced by manufacturers, such as wall protection in a greater variety of
colors and textures, to better facilitate the residential trend even in stringent
healthcare environments. " Manufacturers in general seem a little
more awake now, " she says. " Keep going. "
Ellingsen agrees, saying she's seeking manufacturers who will listen to
the needs of an organization and help answer them. " [It's about] being able
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Healthcare Design - January/February 2022

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