FURNITURE
more vivid colours of the original Roku range. Vicky Taylor said: “The new colours were introduced in response to customer feedback, and a desire for less ‘vibrant’ colours in a wider palette.”
Resilience and robustness tested both ‘in house’ and externally The Roku Keata was officially launched at DiMH 2019 in May. Vicky Taylor said: “We rigorously test the resilience and robustness of our furniture for challenging environments as we develop it, and in fact the Roku Keata is currently also being tested to destruction by a Trust in the north of England, which is already using the original Roku extensively. The Rokus purchased from us earlier are being used on some of the Trust’s most challenging wards, and staff are reportedly thrilled with both the aesthetic and performance.”
Contrasting upholstery Here, we looked at an upholstered Roku tub chair strikingly clad in denim blue vinyl on the sides and back, grey on the mid panel, and a contrasting blue on the seat. Vicky Taylor said: “People sometimes buy Roku as an accent piece. Some ward lounges, for example, may have quite standard furniture, and might not have the budget to replace all items, but simply installing a couple of colourfully upholstered Roku tub chairs and coordinating tables can lift the whole look of the space, and make it look fresh and contemporary.”
Vicky Taylor said that in looking at the new colour palette for Roku and Roku Keata, the Teal design team had striven to develop a palette that sits harmoniously together, and offers customers as much choice as possible. She explained: “The tones are very similar; we are not offering
The new Jetson – a ‘generously proportioned and comfortable contemporary rocking chair’ suitable for low to medium secure unit use.
some very vivid colours, and some very muted ones. Many customers are therefore choosing to mix two or three of the colours together in dining spaces, for example, as they work so well together. Having retained the original purple and blue colours from Roku – which we discovered customers liked most – we have added five new warm and uplifting colours to the range, and also offer two neutral greys.” The original Roku tub chair was specified by Cardiff & Vale University Health Board for its new 136-bedded Hafan y Coed adult acute health inpatient unit at the city’s University Hospital Llandough, with each bedroom featuring one of the colourful tub chairs (see below).
‘Organically-shaped’ sofa Complementing the Roku and the new Roku Keata chairs, and joining the new Roku ‘family’, is another new introduction – the Roku Asuka, a 2.5/3.5-seater
‘organically-shaped’ sofa range, again designed for multi-use environments such as lounge, waiting, and reception areas, including in adult acute and CAMHS units. The Asuka, supplied in Teal LifeCare’s ‘X’ Extreme Environment specification, is available with ‘medium and ‘heavy’ weighting options, has a low-back design and ‘generous seating area’, a fully sealed single-piece seat and boarded underside, and a low overall height to ensure clear sightlines for care staff. The completely upholstered, fully sealed single-piece seat and boarded underside are designed to prevent concealment and facilitate cleaning, while for added safety, there are no visible staples or back tacking. In keeping with the design of the Roku and Roku Keata chairs and tables, the sofas have a flowing design with rounded corners.
Two seating specifications Teal LifeCare’s ‘Solutions for Challenging Environments’ brochure explains that it offers two seating specifications for such settings – the ‘M spec’; (standing for Medium), Enhanced Mental Health, incorporating solid Birch frames with boarded plywood seat and underside, and ‘X spec’, (Extreme Environment) – where seating features not only a boarded inner and outer, but also a boarded back seat and underside. Both specifications feature non-retractable security screws and bolts, no visible staples, and no metal back tacking. Additional options include a polycarbonate base, an oversewn zip, and weighting.
Other contemporarily-styled Teal LifeCare furniture products launched this year include the new Jem armchair, matching footstool, and two-seater sofas. With what Teal LifeCare dubs a ‘modern, statement’ design, and ‘extremely robust
Stakeholders have say in fitting out of Cardiff inpatient unit
Hafan y Coed, an £88 m, 135-bedded mental health unit for adults at Cardiff’s University Hospital Llandough, opened in 2016. Housing up to 135 beds, it replaced the old Whitchurch Hospital, which was considered ‘no longer fit for purpose’, and includes en-suite rooms for assessment and treatment, and social, therapeutic, and recreational areas, including private courtyards. The inpatient unit provides patients who access mental health services with a sense of safety and dignity, with well-designed ward environments which enable rooms to be multi-functional. Cardiff and Vale University Health Board initially invited staff, patients, and carers to view and comment on a mock-up bedroom and furniture samples. The unit was designed in collaboration with service-users and key stakeholders, including the Clinical Project lead for the adult mental health unit. Teal delivered fully sealed, built-in, bespoke bedroom furniture with anti-ligature features and Roku tub chairs (pictured). Units were scribed to the wall, with no gaps or internal hiding places, no visible security fixings, and anti-pick mastic. Handed, scribed box beds were also installed, with sloping top headboards. The Roku tub chair was installed throughout. With contemporary styling, Roku is durable, and weighted to limit misuse and maximise safety.
THE NETWORK | OCTOBER 2019 23
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