Hospital Interior Design Trend and Solutions
The healthcare market is facing substantial changes as demand for medical and care services increases with global economic growth. Aging societies, improvement of patient experience, and the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak all require many changes in the design of hospital spaces.
In particular, a safe and comfortable environment, high-quality service, and meticulous hygiene management have become an essential part of creating a healing environment. LX Hausys have been providing hospital interior solutions based on thorough analysis of these changes and the needs of healthcare service providers.
LX Hausys interior solutions, which have been developed based on a wide range of global research and product development customized for healthcare, increase not only the satisfaction of customers who use the hospital space but also that of staff who manages the hospital space.
Check out the best interior solutions for healthcare facilities throughout our case study below, and get inspirations for your own hospital interior design project!
Kapi` Olani Medical Center’s Interior Design Project
Leaders at Kapi` Olani Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii wanted a spacious new kitchen and dining room in their Diamond Head Tower. They envisioned their hospital area as a soothing respite for patients and families.
In fact, they were not the only ones who envisioned this way. There has been an increasing demand for healthcare services and efforts to create a better healthcare culture, as patient experience has become one of the most important goals for healthcare providers. Patient experience can be categorized into two main areas: “safe and comfortable environments” and “high-quality service” in the healthcare design industry.
But for the architectural team chosen for Kapi` Olani Medical Center interior design project, the situation was far from comforting—they faced daunting interior design challenges.
Kapi` Olani healthcare space design project challenges
The Peter Vincent Architects (PVA) team had its work cut out for them. The healthcare space started out as a dark, hollow shell that needed to be transformed into an area of respite and nourishment. The hospital needed to increase the capacity of the kitchen and dining room, and utilize the space more efficiently.
The firm’s interior design was hampered by elements that couldn’t be changed, such as support beams, a supply elevator and wiring infrastructure in the ceiling.
“The space is adjacent to a parking deck entrance that is the main entry point for visitors, so the design had to accommodate heavy foot traffic,” said Mitz Toguchi, IIDA — Associate/Senior Interior Designer at PVA. “Also, the space needed to be multi-functional and feature the kitchen, dining room, conference rooms, a security information area and an expanded outdoor space.”
Hospital interior suggestion – Graphic screen elevates patient experience
PVA interior design team took a holistic approach, focusing on ways that the spaces could relate to each other. Hospital’s conference rooms would lead to the expanded lanai. Pergolas on opposite ends of hospital’s dining room would give the large space a more intimate feel. Varied types of flooring would aid navigation through the space. Support beams needed to be covered in natural materials to create tree structures and add warmth.
The architectural team created bold, colorful designs and large-scale graphics to create the zones and provide a memorable user experience. The team decided on large windows that open to the adjacent church and its gardens, further reinforcing the connection with the outdoors.
HIMACS solid surface – A perfect interior solution for hospital space design
PVA chose HIMACS solid surface materials for their strength, durability and the desired look and feel. Materials used in healthcare facilities with high traffic of people must be highly durable; otherwise, their continuous maintenance can lead to significant costs. HIMACS solid surface does not suffer from scratches, cracks, and fractures due to its superior materials properties.
VIATERA quartz, one of LX Hausys’ top selling interior material, was also used for food station counters and dining tabletops due to its hardness, durability and heat and scratch resistance. HIMACS solid surface in Egg White formed windowsills due to its color stability in the face of UV exposure. HIMACS Saturn was right for the curved Security desk because it bends well during the thermoforming process.
“PVA has used HIMACS solid surface and VIATERA quartz surface in other projects and we’ve been pleased with the performance, look and durability of the materials,” said Toguchi. “We like to use products that we know will perform well for our clients. We want products that meet their rigorous standards and our overall design goals.”
PVA’s holistic approach was successful. When doors opened for the new Kobayashi & Kosasa Family Dining Room in November 2019, visitors were treated to a colorful 9,000-square-foot kitchen, a 14,000-square-foot dining room that seats 200 guests, a peaceful 1,800-square foot outdoor lanai, three spacious conference rooms and a security area. The added space provides much-needed storage and new prep areas give the kitchen staff more room to work.
LX was instrumental during construction by consistently supplying HIMACS and Viatera materials on time and on budget. “It’s amazing,” said Martha Smith, CEO of the hospital. “The outcome exceeds our expectations, and we look forward to utilizing this space for years to come.”
HIMACS Solid Surface Material – A Perfect Choice for Hospital Interior Design
HYGIENIC
A space with many seams is difficult to maintain cleanly and therefore is not suitable for healthcare facilities. HIMACS solid surface material’s seamless manipulation and non-porous nature create extremely hygienic, easy-to-clean surface that is ideally suited for use in hospitality and healthcare. The seamless HIMACS solid surface material leaves no space for bacterial growth, ensures easy cleaning, and helps maintain environments that are always hygienic.
SAFE MATERIAL
Indoor air is a medium for transferring numerous contaminants that may lead to secondary infection. The selection of surface materials needs to be carefully considered to prevent the materials from releasing harmful substances to the air.
HIMACS has been awarded the GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Gold certificate proving its safety to be used for children who are the most sensitive to indoor air pollution. Additionally, HIMACS boasts a VOC emission of 0.0% and helps improve indoor air quality.
DURABILITY
Materials used in healthcare facilities with high traffic of people must be highly durable; otherwise, their continuous maintenance can lead to significant costs. HIMACS solid surface does not suffer from scratches, cracks, and fractures due to its superior materials properties.
In addition, HIMACS has strong heat resistance and maintains its original state even after being exposed to heat at 170 °C for 1 hour. With HIMACS, even strong contaminants stay on top of the coated surface layer and can be easily removed. Its seamless design also provides an environment that is easy to clean and helps maintain cleanliness.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL & THERMOFORMING
HIMACS solid surface can be molded into any size or three-dimensional shape, perfect for the unique design desired by the unit’s front desk staff. One of the most important goals of healthcare providers is to enhance patient experience. The ability to create safe and creative designs is important to achieve this goal.
HIMACS enables designs that are difficult to create with other materials through 3D thermoforming capabilities. In particular, HIMACS Intense Ultra enables precision processing down to 6 mm inner diameter to offer a completely new design dimension for patient experience.
As such, HIMACS solid surface material’s interior solutions, which have been developed based on a wide range of global research and product development customized for healthcare, increase not only the satisfaction of customers who use the space but also that of staff who manages the space.
Check out LX Hausys HIMACS solid surface collection and get inspirations for your hospital interior design project.