Contract Magazine - July 2020 - 23

PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID WAKELY (AD SYSTEMS)

Healthcare
Allison Gonzalez, NCIDQ, LEED AP
Associate, Senior Interior Designer
Stantec
Philadelphia

Sona Aroush, Assoc. IIDA
Associate, Interior Designer
CO Architects
Los Angeles

"The current pandemic has caused a lot of designers, including myself,
to reimagine the future of healthcare design. For example, large waiting/public
spaces will need to be reprogrammed and designed to ease the sense of fear
people may now feel when in a healthcare facility. I don't think these public spaces
will be completely eliminated. In order to minimize the interactions between
people, technology and telemedicine will play important roles, and furniture
layouts and administrative spaces will need to be sensitive to physical separation
between the staff and patients. The standard quantities of isolation rooms
required by code may need to be reprogrammed, and healthcare facilities will need
to have the ability to convert rooms into ICU or isolation rooms with proper
balancing of HVAC systems."

Classic

New need

Nora by Interface: noraplan sheets
Futrus: Adaptz Table and Bench
"Noraplan sheet flooring is free of PVC, phthalate "Futrus fabricates furniture, modular casework,
plasticizers, and halogens. It does not require adheadwall systems, wall panels, and door systems,
ditional coatings and has excellent slip resistance and offers a range of solid-surface sinks and
and footfall sound absorption. The resiliency of
showers-all fabricated out of Corian. Solid surrubber sheet flooring is also important to medical face material is non-porous, resists the growth of
staff and patients, as the material eases the
mold and bacteria, and can reduce the spread of
stress of walking and standing. Aesthetically, I
hospital-associated infections."
like how the product has a seamless installation
futrus.com
method and great style and color selections."
nora.com

"We are standing at a precipice of change. It is hard to anticipate what lies
ahead, but there have been trends beginning to surface in healthcare design-
with adaptability, in particular, at the forefront of everyone's mind. The nimbler
a space can be, the more it will thrive in uncertain times. This goes beyond
providing extra medical gases for acuity-adaptable patient rooms, to potentially
having outpatient services with provisions to care for higher-acuity patients in
times of need. Moving forward, efficiency and interdisciplinary practices will need
to plan health visits with general practitioners and one or two specialists in mind.
Patients could remain in one room and the care team could come to them
in a single elongated visit, reducing touchpoints and extraneous interaction.
With patients spending extended time in these spaces, it is increasingly important
to set the tone with thoughtful design elements, human-centric and dimmable
lighting, curated artwork, and concealed clinical accessories. Offering a warm
and less sterile room will put patients at ease. Collaborative care should be
encouraged with a conversational exam room layout that still allows for social
distancing. A spacious table and comfortable seating can be centered around
a monitor for viewing records and a smartboard to capture notes. Comprehensive
visits have vast potential to increase the efficiency of the healthcare system,
and as designers, our role is to create a place where patients feel safe, comfortable,
and well-cared for."

Classic

New need

AD Systems: ExamSlide Doors
"This product provides efficiency where space is
a premium while also providing acoustic separation, which is a fundamental concern for patient
privacy, comfort, and positive experience. I have
also specified AD Systems' OfficeSlide smoketight configuration to create a full-lite glass
partition in an inpatient environment-a solution
no other product could provide."
specadsystems.com

contract

Teknoflor: Naturescapes HPD
"By specifying a bio-based polyurethane flooring
product, like Teknoflor's Naturescapes HPD
sheet and coordinating Nature's Tile, we are
using a product that has a cleaner manufacturing
process, no wax maintenance, and reduction in
harmful dust and VOCs in indoor environments.
Clean air has never felt more important than
right now."
teknoflor.com
http://www.futrus.com http://www.teknoflor.com http://www.specadsystems.com http://www.nora.com
Contract Magazine - July 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract Magazine - July 2020
