FURNITURE


D


esigning modern furniture ranges for challenging environments like mental health facilities means


ensuring products are comfortable and homely, but, most importantly, safe. Psychiatric patients are among the


most difficult to design for as their conditions can cause a plethora of different symptoms including violence, aggression and self harm. Because of these risks, all furniture


needs to be specially developed, usually weighted down so it cannot be thrown, and with sealed joints so that contraband cannot be hidden. And nowhere is this more important than in dining areas, which are often communal spaces where patients gather in large groups. Wayne Tilbury Larter of Teal Furniture


Medium-secure units will generally be concentrating more on robustness, while environments for people with dementia will have very-different considerations.


explains: “Having worked with many varied providers over the years we know that mealtimes are fundamental to recovery and health and wellbeing.


COMING TOGETHER “But experience also tells us that these can be volatile times, often creating situations whereby service users are thrown together in much closer proximity. “Inevitably, with higher levels of


interaction, you are likely to have higher instances of unrest and conflict. “This means the choice of furniture


for these environments needs to be very carefully thought through.” And the very-limited space in many mental health units puts added pressure on designers and product specifiers.


Tilbury Larter said: “No one


service user type or group offers the same challenges. For example,


medium-secure units will generally be concentrating more on robustness, while environments for people with dementia will have very-different considerations. “Understanding these differences


will determine the direction of design.” He added: “Frequently the merging of day areas in order to optimise both layout and observation results in lounge and dining areas being one open-plan space. “While this approach has many benefits, such as improved sightlines, a greater sense of space, and opportunities to use dining areas as activity spaces outside of mealtimes; it can also lead to overcrowding when it comes to furniture. “Specifying a more-compact dining chair will assist in reducing the visual clutter and maintaining the open-plan feel. However, with the number of bariatric patients being admitted to hospital rising, provision should also be made for obese service users.” Key furniture products for these


spaces include chairs, dining tables, and cabinets and storage.


ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY? “Chairs range from lightweight stacking models, through to 60kg weighted moulded dining chairs,” said Tilbury Larter. “A wide range of timber-framed


chairs, with and without arms or skids,


16


mhdf magazine


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