▲
PROJECT
flooring
but making it as easy and open for anyone to be able to use it.” As construction progressed and designers and hospital staff turned their attention to finishes for the $225-million, nine-story facility, they again considered the patient experience, along with best practices of green design. Recalled Hereau, “One of the major focuses of our design was, in addition to making it patient focused, to be certain that it was resilient and a very sustainable building. We tried to keep all of those things in mind at all times. As we were choosing products, they needed to be things that were comfortable for patients and staff to use.” THE FLOORING CONTRIBUTION
Nora flooring from Nora Systems Inc., Salem, NH, was installed to help the facility meet goals for a patient-centered and sustainable design. Installed throughout the hospital, Norament Grano provides comfort for staff members who spend long hours on their feet, while helping to reduce noise that can interfere with recovery. Concerned about patient and staff sensitivities to allergens and chemicals within a newly constructed building, Hereau also appreciated a flooring product that does not release any emissions into the air. Colorful patterns in the floor also serve an important function. “One of the things that our patients really enjoy is that we worked with designers to place metrics into the floors,” she said. “So, as they’re walking or rolling, patients can see how Burle™ PANEL ©2007 modularArts, Inc.
much progress they’ve made just by looking at the pattern on the floor. We also worked with Nora to design our logo, ‘Find Your Strength,’ into the floor tile at vari-
High Quality, Glass Reinforced Gypsum Panels with steel-reinforced joints precisely interlock for seamless wall surfaces of any size.
ous places in the building. Patients love the logo, and they use that graphic reminder to inspire them to do more.” Just as important is the floor’s smooth finish. Many wheelchairs have very small front caster wheels and, when turning, can catch on the smallest corner or edge. According to David Cohen, director of environmental services, the flooring also offers resiliency that is important. “For staff, it improves their comfort; it improves the ergonomics of the workflow of their job on a daily basis. For patients, who tend to spend a lot of time in hallways, either in wheelchairs or walking around as part of their therapy, the floor has a little bit of give to it, so it makes it a more comfortable experience for them as they roll or walk through the corridors.” LOW MAINTENANCE
Cohen continued, “In a setting like this one, long-term maintenance of the flooring is probably our biggest issue, where cleanliness is concerned. So, we wanted to get away from VCT flooring and install something that does not require floor finishes and some of the harsh chemicals that we’d become accustomed to in our older buildings. So far, the Nora flooring has been very successful along these lines. In fact, ...daily mopping is really all that’s been required to maintain the floor finish. At the same time, we’re realizing some cost savings by eliminating the floor strippers and finishes that we used on our older VCT floors. What’s more, the floor stands up to the abuse of stretchers, wheelchairs, patients, and staff.” CBP
DATA CACHE Hive™ BLOCK ©2012 modularArts, Inc. U.S. Patent 8,375,665
Sculptural screen wall blocks stack up to create fully dimensional, double-sided, rock walls. The block is back!
Want more information? The resources below are linked in our digital magazine at cbpmagazine.com/digital/mar2014.
Circle 10 on the Reader Service Card. View a video that shows you the hospital interior and discusses the role the floor plays in the design. Download pdfs and spec sheets on Norament Grano flooring used in the hospital.
Now with 50
designs.
modulararts.com 206.788.4210 made in the USA
38
CIRCLE 212
CIRCLE 212
Hear disability resources coordinator Betsy Pillsbury talk about the design process.
