Healthcare Design - June 2015 - 44

Meanwhile, Belanger likes to introduce a lot of soft
fabrics ingrained with stain-resistant properties and
that fight wear and tear. Elkin adds visual interest
to seating areas through texture, using rough and
smooth surfaces to provide a backdrop while still
maintaining cleanability and durability.
Kalloor turns to natural materials-in moderation-to finish a space. "While many natural
materials may not be suitable for healthcare dining
environments due to durability or sterility, when
used selectively, they can add a lot of impact." For
instance, ceilings are a good place to incorporate
the richness and beauty of wood, while natural
stone tiles or glass mosaics can be integrated
into the design in small doses and still deliver high
design impact. Another strategy, Kalloor says, is to
use synthetic materials that mimic natural materials,
colors, and patterns. "Examples include resilient
flooring with a natural stone or wood look, engineered surface materials such as quartz or solid
surface with visuals that imitate natural stone, and
protective wall panels that are treated with a top
layer that has an organic texture or wood panel appearance," she says.
For flooring, Elkin recommends a balance of
hard and soft flooring surfaces to create boundaries between different seating clusters and service
areas. For example, hard-surface flooring, such as
porcelain tiles, are typically installed in high-traffic
circulation zones and at food service transition areas. Hard-surface flooring with minimal seams also
minimizes crevices that may harbor dirt and germs.
Poured composite floors like terrazzo offer high-end
visual appeal and come in a large variety of colors,
visual textures, and custom patterns.
Up above
An inherent piece of any dining space is all of the
equipment required to operate, but one design
trick is to shift attention elsewhere-specifically, up.
"Designers use ceiling treatments as an opportunity
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HCDmagazine.com 07.15

to create interest and draw the eye up and away
from the equipment in the serving areas and away
from the cluster of chairs and tables in the dining
room," Kaminski says.
Kalloor adds that thoughtful ceiling design
comes with even more benefits: "Ceiling treatments allow a large space to be visually compartmentalized into zones, they contribute the most to
the acoustical quality within the space, and they
tend be the only plane in the room that does not
contain a lot of visual clutter."
Belanger prefers gypsum ceilings in smaller
dining and lounge spaces to create an upscale
look, but in most applications specifies a smoothfinished acoustic ceiling tile. In place of standard
2-by-2-inch tiles, Kaminski recommends largeformat, 48-by-48-inch options to create a more
modern look. Barbara Bouza, managing director
and principal at Gensler (Los Angeles), adds that
high-performance mineral fiber and fiberglass materials will meet washability, noise level, anti-mold,
and antibacterial requirements.

LARRY TAYLOR

Undulating ceiling panels,
textured walls, natural
light, pendant lighting, and
neutral colors create an
upscale look at the RLFdesigned Uptown Café for
Florida Hospital Altamonte
in Altamonte Springs, Fla.

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Healthcare Design - June 2015

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