When hundreds of children are your main visitors, a warm and welcoming setting is paramount to making their hospital stay more comfortable. The Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children took advantage of a recent expansion to design a healthcare interior that was relaxed and playful yet delivered durability and resilience.
Completed in late 2014, the new 557,000-square-foot wing includes family-centered patient rooms, enhanced amenities, collaborative team spaces, and an emergency department with 44 exam rooms. Before embarking on the project, FKP Architects polled local children for their design input. While innovative additions like a roller coaster and a zoo couldn’t fit into the layout, Nemours’ Family and Youth Advisory Councils recommended an interactive atmosphere that could make a hospital stay less scary.
To keep functionality a top priority, the design team created spaces that comfort young patients and their families as well as deliver the durability demanded of a busy children’s care center. Beyond the walls of local children’s artwork showcased using Acrovyn by Design® Wall Protection, visitors and staff pass through many of the over 600 doors that connect the hospital’s rooms and corridors. Acrovyn® Doors were selected in a clean Classic Maple simulated wood finish to maintain an inviting look. The doors’ unique aesthetic features and wide array of finish options complement the overall design while maintaining necessary resilience.
With the ability to endure an extreme level of use, Acrovyn® Doors are ideal for bustling hospitals that experience constant movement of people and equipment. The door’s surface, consisting of Acrovyn® sheet, provides a smooth, long-lasting layer of protection. This visual benefit transforms an institutional-looking space into one that mimics hospitality interiors. Young patients now have a comfortable place where they can obtain treatments without much of the fear a typical hospital environment can evoke.
