Healthcare Design Considerations

In recognizing the trends described, the obvious question becomes how to incorporate them into the design of a healthcare facility. We will look more closely at each of the following four topics with respect to making them part of an overall design solution.

Photo courtesy of Inpro

The design of patient bed areas can be notably improved by using warmer appearing materials including a wide array of privacy curtain fabrics a full range of colors and patterns.

Incorporating Artwork

Systems and materials used to incorporate artwork in healthcare settings must be beautiful, and offer the creative freedom required to meet a wide range of aesthetics. Manufacturers have recognized these needs and offer a variety of options to design professionals. Wall surface products using laminated glass for example have become available in a variety of types. Typically, these are comprised of a color graphic interlayer laminated between two lites of glass. Designers can draw on a wide range of standard interlayer colors, patterns, and photography, or they can incorporate their own custom variations. An especially popular choice for healthcare environments is high resolution artwork using this technology. At least one manufacturer has the ability to incorporate photographs, digital files, and other continuous tone imagery as the interlayer images. Those images can either be custom designed, provided by the owner or designer, or selected from the manufacturer’s standard library of choices. The latter are an ideal solution when designers want to incorporate photographic imagery into a design, but don’t have, or can’t use, their own photography. They can instead select from a growing library of large-scale, high-resolution photos created using sophisticated image capturing equipment.

An option for enhancing this artistic approach to surfaces is to add direct lighting to the panel. Engineered, edge-lit LED panels are available that allow seamless illumination of walls, columns, elevator interiors, and standalone panels and displays. Typically, these lighted panels combine cutting-edge lighting technology with specialty architectural glass and an engineered framing system to create a total illuminated panel. They can be used to create stunning effects in addition to being a great way to add illumination to healthcare settings. As such they can be treated as standalone artwork, as part of a way-finding package by providing subtle illumination to darkened corridors, or by adding “windows with a view” to areas without natural light. The illumination can even help a 2D photo appear to be more three dimensional.

Of course, for artwork of any type to stand out, it needs to be placed against an appropriate back drop. That can be standard wall materials or manufactured wall cladding panels designed for a complete, integrated, panelized, design solution. Such a system can be used to create a cohesive look across hospital walls, elevator interiors, columns, and other vertical surfaces that are accented or complemented by the artistic additions described above.

Improving Patient Areas

The healthcare industry is moving steadily toward an enhanced patient experience guided by the use of feedback received in post-discharge surveys. Beyond walls, it has been reported that the use of pleasing colors and patterns in fabrics can play a role in the patient’s overall experience. This is significant because most patient areas are screened with fabric curtains or drapes that can be opened or closed as needed for privacy. Based on a variety of input, designers can now choose from an increasing array of such fabrics that are specifically designed for improving the area where a patient spends the majority of his or her time in a healthcare facility. There is also the opportunity to create more customized spaces by using a ceiling mounted curtain track that is bendable to suit differing design situations.

While the visual and textural elements of such enclosures is readily discernable, the more subtle aspect of sound control is also important. In the past, many fabric enclosures used an unfinished aluminum track to hang curtains with the process of opening and closing them creating a fair bit of unwanted noise. In the grand scheme of things, that may not seem like a big deal, but tell that to a patient who is trying to sleep or who is already a bit overwhelmed by the other, increasing levels of background noises of a healthcare environment. Instead, by using innovative track products that combine flexible, recycled aluminum and durable polymers, the noise generated by opening and closing curtains has been shown to actually decrease on the order of 10 to 20 decibels - enough to make a real and discernable difference.

Beyond the curtains, the other notable aspect of all patient bed areas is the head wall. Often this has been relegated to an array of medical gas, electric, and electronic connections against whatever wall surface is used elsewhere. A significant change in appearance and design is possible by using a wood grained covering that covers all or a portion of the head wall providing a genuinely “warmer” and more natural appearance, even if the material itself is not actually wood.

Incorporating Glass

Using glass to help spread light into and through healthcare spaces can be done in a variety of ways. Often, the default assumption is to use windows or glass panels. However, there has been a resurgence of interest in using glass blocks, which are versatile design elements and are quite well suited for healthcare facilities. They can provide light transmission in either clear or obscure patterns which allow for the control of visual privacy accordingly. Their thickness and make up also provide noise resistance which we have already seen is important in healthcare environments. Since glass block is very durable, inert, and relatively maintenance free, it can be used in both interior and exterior applications. In exterior walls, it can be selected to be energy efficient by providing favorable insulation and solar heat gain values. It also provides enhanced resistance to impact, fire, sound transmission, graffiti and weather.

For interior applications, glass block can go beyond privacy separations and light transmission. In the spirit of adding color, art, and design to interiors, glass block is also available with artistic color and patterns with capabilities to add customized images and colors. Glass block has always had a dynamic relationship with light, but with this option, color and images can become vibrant. Custom designs are possible and available as individual accent glass blocks or as full or partial wall murals. Typically, stacked color accents and murals are done on standard 8 inch x 8 inch x 4 inch glass blocks that can be installed like traditional units. Each glass block is crafted individually and intended to be mixed with other clear or designed blocks to form the overall wall or window design. And since the application of color or images does not affect the fire rating of the glass block it is suitable for applications where fire-rating is required - the color/image simply becomes part of the glass block. It is also safe for use in wet areas, including pools and shower enclosures. From an overall design perspective, custom colored and patterned glass block can add a new dimension to healthcare designs while providing all of the standard features and benefits of traditional glass blocks.

Photo credits: Left: Sarah Mechling/Perkins Eastman; Right: Courtesy of Pittsburgh Corning Glass Block

Glass block is a particularly appropriate alternative to sheet glass in healthcare settings where light, color, and art are desired.

Improving Bathroom Design

The issues associated with good bathroom design are tied not only to overcoming an institutional appearance, but at the same time addressing the need to be handicapped accessible, avoid opportunities for mold, and other hazards. Fortunately, there are now easier and more cost-effective ways to build bathrooms and shower areas in health care facilities that are fully accessible and durable without promoting mold growth. One thing that can be most important for the overall design and operational success of a bathroom is to use a complete, coordinated system to create a new or remodeled bathroom so that all of the individual parts work together and complement each other. In particular, this can create rooms and shower areas that are patient friendly and cost effective. By allowing for faster and more affordable universal design this system approach to showers in particular helps create spaces and rooms that can be used by anyone, whether wheelchair bound or ambulatory. If all bathrooms in a facility are fully accessible, then it is much easier to assign patients to rooms. This design approach can foster greater independence and eliminate frustration from trying to use a space in a different way than intended.

Individual products that can be incorporated as part of an overall system into the design of bathroom showers include waterproof interior wall panels, pre-formed shower trays and ramps, linear drains, and cove shaped profiles. The preformed trays and ramps can be used to create barrier free spaces for universal use. In the case of retrofit projects this approach often reduces the amount of selective demolition that needs to be done thus helping to eliminate downtime between steps in the construction process. Coordinated linear drains allow for shower floors with a single slope so they are easier to use by both wheelchair bound and ambulatory patients. There are also more options for the location of the drain which means more flexibility in design and construction.

Photos courtesy of Schluter Systems

Accessible showers that use a variety of enhancements and drains offer more flexibility in design and construction along with easier usage.