CHILDRENS MERCY HOSPITAL CASE STUDY
Artonauts was approached to consult with this top ranked pediatric system to revisit their Nurses Stations . One of their biggest challenges is durability and infection control while maintaining a fun and aesthetically stimulating approach.
Healthcare facilities frequently face concerns ensuring stations / desks / design elements can withstand constant exposure to gurneys, buffers, wheelchairs, children and staff whose daily use creates high wear and tear. Standard wooden desks with a laminate overlay requires extensive maintenance. However when they substituted the wood with the more durable materials they sacrificed style and design flexibility. They wanted something fun and aesthetically pleasing that still held up to rigorous exposure.
Our team researched the best materials, consulted with child psychologists, and ran extensive tests on the products considered. AFA presented of themed concepts to developing unique and fresh reception areas. We incorporated these designs into the entire area, pairing wall artwork with the reception area, design elements with interactive displays. Each room featured functional interactive designs. There were several rooms that converged with a similar theme yet each retained an individual concept.
Concepts
1) children of the world - each room highlighted a different country,
- we used a sailing ship for the nurse station, retaining the base or bulk of the ship to save costs, but changing out - - features such as the roof, the mast, and the portholes.
-interactive design feature - a button that you push to speak hello in different languages
2) the 4 seasons - each room featured a different season, highlighting natural landscape features specific to the area
- we designed a foundation base for the nurse station, changing elements to create a different approach for each room
- summer/fall -- a lemonade stand was the nurse station.
- winter/spring -- hot air balloon
KEY POINTS
- consultation with child psychology specialist regarding art selections
- patented "face plate" approach to utilize existing reception desks and reduce costs
- Artonauts artists contributed their own unique children's artwork designs for the project
- similar foundation with interchanging design features offer diversity in final product with lower costs