INTERIOR FINISHES
protection needs. A wide choice of colour options and decorative finishes, bespoke wall coverings, PVC-free and ‘Cradle to Cradle’-certified variants, and products with bactericidal properties, make CS Acrovyn a wall protection of choice for modern healthcare design.
‘Unique’ challenges Interior design in healthcare poses many unique challenges, with an increasing focus on safety, healing, and capacity. Design choices must be balanced with material performance to ensure that the environment is kept to as high a standard as possible. Fortunately, modern protection systems offer complete design freedom, while delivering hygienic, impact- resistant, low-maintenance solutions for walls and doors that will last long into the future.
The use of different colours and pictorial signage on different floors and/or within different departments can aid intuitive wayfinding and navigation.
information relating to the design of doors, handrails, and use of wall protection. This is in line with other regulations such as BS 8300-2:2018 and Approved Document M, volume 2, of the Building Regulations, to ensure that buildings are accessible to all and user-friendly. For example, compliance with visual contrast requirements between key building elements will ensure that buildings are accessible to the visually or sensory impaired, while provision of handrails in easily distinguishable and contrasting colours will ensure that mobility support is available when needed.
Pictorial signage Art and colour play an important role in creating inclusive healthcare facilities for all building users. The use of different colours and pictorial signage on different floors and/or within different departments can aid intuitive wayfinding and navigation. They can also help non-English speakers identify particular routes and rooms, making access easier, and reducing the number of signs needed. Monochromatic colour schemes should
be avoided. A difference of at least 30 points in Light Reflectance Value (the total quantity of visible light reflected by a surface at all wavelengths and directions when illuminated by a light source) between adjacent surfaces is needed to meet the requirement for colour contrast, and allow visually impaired people to differentiate between doors, walls, floors, and ceilings. There is, however, some evidence to suggest that where the illuminance on the surface is 200 lux or more, a difference of around 20 points may still be acceptable. For health and safety reasons,
obstructions – such as columns, lifts, stairs, and doors – should be protected with visually contrasting materials, so choice
50 Health Estate Journal September 2022
of colour in wall coatings and protection systems (including handrails and crash rails), and doors / door frames, is also important.
Dementia settings In dementia settings, well-thought-out colour schemes can be used to maximise patients’ comfort and safety. Memorable, easily recognisable colour concepts for building areas serve as orientation aids and signposts, and help dramatically reduce the stress associated with disorientation. Conversely, colour can also be used to help divert dementia patients from accessing certain areas, such as staff areas, cupboards, or utility room doors. This can be easily achieved by using the same colour for doors and surrounding walls to blend them in. These principles have been successfully
deployed in the design of a dedicated ward for dementia patients at Warrington Hospital, helping them distinguish building zones, and aiding navigation. Whether it is a new-build healthcare
facility, or revitalising an existing building, there is a wealth of durable wall protection solutions that offer design freedom in creating healing spaces, while delivering hygienic, impact-resistant, low-maintenance protection that helps reduce ongoing operational and whole-life maintenance costs. Available in a multitude of designs, colours, and finishes, they can be easily integrated into any design style, and will complement other interior elements.
One of the leading wall protection
ranges, CS Acrovyn, allows designers and Estates & Facilities teams to create stunning interiors that stand the test of time. Tried and tested in healthcare facilities across the UK, Acrovyn offers solutions for all building areas and impact
Kate Waterston
Kate Waterston is a UK Sales manager at Construction Specialties (UK) (CS), a Buckinghamshire- based manufacturer that supplies a wide range of specialist building products. In her 27 years with the company, she has progressed from an initial estimator role to become a Product manager for the Acrovyn Wall Protection range, subsequently taking on responsibility for all the UK sales efforts across all product lines, leading both internal and external sales teams. Throughout her career with CS, she has worked closely with architects and contractors, including on some of the largest UK PFI schemes, including Pembury Hospital (now the Tunbridge Wells Hospital) in Kent, the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, and the Barts & Royal London Hospitals. She was instrumental in Construction Specialties (UK) being awarded ProCure 22 recommended supplier status for wall and door protection. Alongside her sales teams, she regularly provides support to NHS Estates officers and measured term contractors on maintenance works.
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