surfaces - flooring
collection are specially designed to be combined with their shimmer counterpart,” explains Kappelar. “The Blue Shimmer colourway was used in the treatment areas, with its matching accent colour, Blue Glow, running around the edges. Purple Shimmer was used in the gynaecology areas, with Purple Glow running around the edges. And, finally, the Green Shimmer colourway was used in the staff areas with Green Glow around the edges.
Durable and hygienic “With the various matching visuals, the architect was able to create stunning floor designs as well as helping with navigation in what is a big building with lots of rooms.”
But she warns against using highly- contrasting tones or patterns as these cause confusion, particularly among people with dementia or other visual problems. Ford adds: “There are huge opportunities to make a real statement in the floor with patterns, designs, artwork and a mixture of different products, whether that’s a specific image or design, machine cut offsite; or simply the skill of the installer in hand cutting a curve or a feature between two colours in a ward or corridor. “But this must always be taken into account in conjunction with the HBN guidelines and the Equality Act of 2010 to ensure the building is suitable for anyone with a disability who might be using it.”
Modern healthcare flooring ranges offer this flexibility, with many available in a range of colours and textures. A growing number are also able to be printed onto with artwork and other designs.
A warm welcome Altro recently installed its safety flooring at Whittington Health’s new ambulatory care centre and rapid assessment unit in north London, with a leaf design embedded into the flooring to help direct patients to the correct areas.
And printed flooring solutions were incorporated into the design of new paediatric facilities at hospitals in Milton Keynes, Hillingdon, and Salisbury . Amtico has also worked with trusts
across the country, using both floor design and innovative fitting techniques to aid navigation.
At The Cotgrave Hub in Nottingham, its Signature range of LVT flooring was installed throughout, with different types of products – a mixture of neutral- coloured woods, stones and abstracts – helping to create specific zones. And, at a rehabilitation centre that specialises in sports-related injuries, a racetrack pathway was used to aid wayfinding and encourage movement. Another example of where flooring specification has aided navigation is at the new Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington. P+HS Architects wanted to steer
away from the typical clinical look often associated with healthcare buildings, and instead create a brighter, warmer and more-welcoming environment. As a result, the first floor is split into
three colour-coded zones and uses Forbo’s Marmoleum Concrete in an array of shades to aid with wayfinding, and to distinguish between the different areas. “The accent colours within the
healthcaredm.co.uk 33
As well as considering colour and pattern; she also encourages specifiers to ensure any flooring is durable and hygienic, with many modern ranges naturally bacteriostatic and proven to inhibit the growth and the spread of potentially-harmful bugs. “Patient safety is of paramount concern to hospitals, too, so in application areas where spillages are a risk, choosing a genuine Health and Safety Executive-compliant safety flooring with a guaranteed lifetime slip resistance is also key,” she added. “This will minimise the risk of accidental slips and trips, while staff, patients and visitors move around the healthcare centre or hospital.” And acoustics are key, with the best floor coverings those that will help to absorb sound and create a calmer and softer environment. “The best solutions aren’t just practical, they are visually stunning too,” concludes Kappelar.
www.forbo.com
www.amtico.com
www.altro.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57
