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| INTERFACE AT WORK:
MEMORIAL HERMANN CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL |
Assignment: Use floorcoverings to provide patients a comforting "town park"
surrounded by "neighborhoods" — and meet hospital maintenance, safety and performance
needs.
Location: A 150-bed, full-service facility in Houston, TX
Architect: Watkins Hamilton Ross
Products: Caribbean™, Jakarta™, Marrakesh™
While maintenance is a common priority for many hospitals, acoustics and safety were
principal concerns when Memorial Hermann established design guidelines for construction
of its three-story children's hospital within the new bed tower addition. To create a
safe, healing environment inside, carpet was chosen for the floorcovering — and Interface
products were specified for their maintenance and performance characteristics. The
versatility and responsiveness of Interface made our floorcoverings the medium of choice
for the designer's environmental art.
"To create a healing environment where children could feel safe and comfortable, we
needed to accommodate the entire family while making it quiet enough for kids to heal.
Carpet made that environment possible."
"We've always had good luck with Interface. They have a history of high-performance products
with inspired patterns. We always start with Interface."
Gail Burns,
Designer,
Watkins Hamilton Ross
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Park
The green grass and sand colored path identify the hospital's "Central Park,"
a place for children and parents to meet and interact.
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Star Neighborhood
The design theme was extended to the "neighborhoods" in the form of navigational
symbols drawn from nature.
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Theme
Nature was chosen as the design theme for the children's hospital, which treats more
than 8,000 patients per year.
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Park
Surrounding the park are pediatric units comprised of 6 beds each located in
"neighborhoods" — quiet, private areas that encourage healing.
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Challenges / Answers
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A floorcovering company that would go the extra mile to make the artful inspiration possible.
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Interface created a palette of 12 standard and customized colors.
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Comfort and protection from slip-and-fall accidents
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Performance Broadloom absorbs sounds and reduces glare while offering stability underfoot.
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Make hospital maintenance easy
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The structured backing of Interface products provides a moisture barrier that keeps spills
and stains on the surface for easy and complete removal. The active design makes dirt less
visible.
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Prevent odors associated with microbial growth in carpets
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Intersept®, Interface's patented antimicrobial preservative, is permanently incorporated
into the backing system of all products manufactured by Interface Flooring Systems, protecting
the carpet from a broad spectrum of molds, mildew and odor-causing microorganisms that are of
critical concern in hospital settings.
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Support for heavy, rolling traffic
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The structured backing of Interface floorcoverings offers exceptional dimensional stability and
does not buckle under heavy loads.
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Long-term appearance retention
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A long lifetime for the floorcovering investment is ensured by dense construction and
solution-dyed fibers that prevent fading or bleaching by cleansers.
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