Healthcare Design During a Pandemic

Just for the "Health" of it, we wanted to get insight into the Healthcare Design industry in the middle of a Pandemic, and we were fortunate to have Krystal Gantz Fensky with ACI Boland sit down to discuss what she is seeing in the Healthcare Design Industry.

"The thing that has drawn me to healthcare design is the impact our team's designs have on how people feel and interact in a space. We can aid healing simply reducing one's anxiety. How a space is designed can be so impactful and every aspect must be considered. "

- Krystal Gantz Fensky, 
   Interior Designer, ACI Boland

​What is the most difficult thing about designing for healthcare facilities today? 

A. Different guidelines that are changing all the time and keeping up with them.  Knowing new codes and finish requirements based on certain types of spaces.  We must keep up with how end users are utilizing certain areas, so we are very considerate of the finishes going into those spaces, to support their needs and future maintenance.  We must focus on making them feel less institutional at the same time to create a more soothing environment for patients and visitors.  The fact that we can make a real impact on how people feel in these spaces is truly rewarding.

Q. What new material trends do you see in the healthcare segment? 

​Biophilic design elements are being incorporated more and more, especially with hard and soft surface flooring.  I think manufacturers are becoming better at offering solutions to aid in design.  

Thanks to technology, design visuals are being offered in more materials, like luxury vinyl tile.  Flooring manufacturers are doing a better job of offering coordinating visuals from one material to another as well.  This provides designers with design and budget flexibility.  ​

​If an area needs sheet vinyl, and another does not need that type of durability, or cleanability we can improve the bottom line.  More manufacturers are creating PVC free flooring too, so I believe this tells us they are working on more sustainable solutions to help with LEED, or be on the RED list.

Q. What new color trends are you seeing? 

​A:  For healthcare we are continuing to see influence from residential and hospitality trends.  However, in healthcare we do have to be mindful not to be too trendy in colors, because they do not update every couple of years like some other market segments do.  Therefore, we use a more neutral color palette, with pops of color in those areas that are more affordable to change out.  We have always seen blue and green, as those are more calming colors, but we are seeing other pops of color in artwork, signage, and furniture fabrics.

Q. Do you have a personal favorite new trend? 

​No personal favorite, however I am excited to see all the new trends and how they can help us design a healthier environment for everyone that enters a healthcare facility.  Creating a more positive environment for people that inhabit these spaces daily gives me a great feeling.

Q. What impact is COVID 19 having on your projects? What about how you engage clients? 

​A. We have been doing virtual client presentations due to restrictions.  Thanks to video conferencing, it has been working well.  Video platforms enable us to still discuss the items we need to and make it more of a visual presentation.  We are working with our clients in thinking more about the design of their waiting room spaces. We are looking at how we can distance seating and incorporate screening solutions while still providing an inviting environment for patients to be in. Finish materials and their cleaning solutions must be considered as well.

​Q. Has COVID 19 affected material selections? 

A. ​We have always considered the cleaning capabilities since we are in healthcare.  Due to COVID we are really looking at cleaning codes more intensely because our clients are asking more questions about cleanability.  Now, we can see clients wanting to investigate the effect of certain things, like hand sanitizers to make sure they will not create a future problem for the materials they can land on.

Q. Are any types of materials now being avoided? If so, why? 

A:  We are trying to get away from specifying materials that require a lot of maintenance.  Especially in healthcare where they are already cleaning everything for sanitary reasons.  We do not want to add anymore task for housekeeping, or maintenance.  For instance, VCT flooring requires more upkeep, so by not specifying, we can avoid the maintenance of waxing.