Healthcare Design - January/February 2021 - 21

challenge, Barkan added. " We already see with our very durable products
what a beating the cleaners take to them and that they're not being wiped
off. People are cleaning three to five to eight times as much right now, and
I feel like we're going to be in big trouble in two years trying to replace
them, " she said.
Bringing a Canadian perspective to the conversation, McBride shared
how in the aftermath of SARS, the country's healthcare spaces saw a similar effect in products not standing up to the heavy disinfectants that were
used. " Things just didn't survive. And so that's when our codes and standards started shifting to being ready to handle the worst-case scenario-
you're not supposed to bleach resilient floor, but it's going to happen, "
she said. " A pandemic is like a hurricane, so what do you need to do to be
ready for a hurricane? "
However, McBride noted, the sustainability challenge that Boldt mentioned is likely to persist because organic materials that are inherently
more sustainable can't generally survive those worst-case scenarios.
" Historically, and it's changing with technology, the more organic material or the more sustainable, the less ability it has to withstand what was
needed for infection control from a chemical point of view, " she said.
Recognizing the inevitable strain materials will be under, particularly
in similar outbreak scenarios, Nash urged more consideration of surfaces,
specifically-for example, wood and metal may deteriorate with harsh
cleaning regimens and subsequently harbor germs (Kwalu uses solid
surface in its furniture). " We need to get better at surfaces, " she said. And
while that's not the primary mode of transmission for COVID-19, Nash also
warned of urgent threats on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's radar, such as c. diff and c. auris, that
do spread by surface contamination. " What
we're focused on right now needs to be the
future, not COVID-19, " she said.
Alan said he's also interested in the promise of antimicrobials to inhibit the growth
of microorganisms, despite more data and
-Nan Schramm, E4H
science being needed to support the yetunproven application in healthcare spaces.
" I don't want to throw that to the side and say that's not a solution for us.
The biggest reason for that, too, is we don't know what's to come yet. My
biggest fear has always been microbes, " he said.
Overall, though, all these pieces working in tandem to support prevention will be key, the group said. " Prevention is powerful, life-saving, and a
financial necessity, " Nash said. " Focusing on products that offer long-term
cleanability and durability will lead to possible interruption of transmission of dangerous pathogens and is paramount in designing for the future. "

" Materiality has never
been more important, and
to our vendors, this is a call
to arms. "

PREVENTIVE CARE

Prevention, in fact, has already influenced product specification in a
COVID-19 world. For example, at E4H, Schramm said the firm immediately stopped specifying carpet and is installing luxury vinyl tile only

in spaces where having joints is acceptable.
Additionally, designers continue to confirm
with manufacturers that products will hold
up against cleaning protocols before making a
purchase. " That's starting to narrow down what
we can select from, " she said. Additionally, the
firm is giving aesthetics the backseat for now.
" We made the decision that we're going to sacrifice aesthetics whenever we need to, to make
the environment safer, and that's what we're
doing-safety first. Materiality has never been
more important, and to our vendors, this is a
call to arms. "
Orcutt/Winslow's Wilcynski agreed. " Let's
face it, a lot of safety has been going on over
aesthetics, in grocery stores, everywhere, "
she said, referring to now-ubiquitous acrylic
screens. But on a deeper level, the pandemic
has opened more conversations about infection control and the role design can play. She
recalled years ago when infection prevention
staff had to fight for solutions like solid surface countertops that her firm now specifies
for most projects. " After COVID-19, people are
talking about infection prevention-it's everywhere. Everyone talks about COVID -19 and
how not to get it, " she said.
And that includes patients, who are now more
observant than ever. " The perception of cleanable is very important. When I'm designing fabrics now, I'm thinking about will someone want
to sit in that chair, how will that wear, and how
will that wearability affect someone's perception
of if this room is clean or not? " Wolfe said. As a
cancer patient herself navigating a COVID-19
world, she shared that even a stained piece of
furniture might make her question an environment. " It makes me feel unclean, so it's important that there are the right products and that
the patients feel [the room] is clean. "
That fact is requiring healthcare organizations to strike a balance between what's necessary and what's expected. Boldt shared that
Advocate Aurora Health found that with staff
members wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, acrylic barriers weren't
needed for infection control; however, a consumer survey showed that patients preferred

J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1

Healthcare Design - January/February 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Design - January/February 2021