Case Studies - Healthcare

Armstrong TimberLine and MEDLEY Flooring Create Fun and Functional Spaces for Pediatric Patients

The physical, psychological and emotional needs of pediatric patients are important to Priority Care Pediatrics, LLC. In fact, providing a playful as well as fun, friendly and secure child-oriented environment is in their mission statement. So, when Priority Care management envisioned what their new 13,000 square foot medical office building should look like, they insisted on an easy and fun way for children to navigate their way around the facility. Interior Designer Katie Dunn, of PGAV Architects, delivered on Priority’s requirements using Armstrong TimberLine and MEDLEY sheet flooring to create sophisticated yet simple and colorful wayfinding patterns.

Healthcare Flooring That’s Beautiful and Practical

Priority Care Pediatrics is devoted to creating an environment that welcomes a child while providing exceptional quality pediatric health care services. There are always challenges designing a kid-friendly environment in a healthcare setting because hospital flooring materials are often “institutional-looking.” Colors and patterns that can enhance healing in pediatric spaces can be hard to find, and/or hard to coordinate with other flooring and interior finishes. Plus, Dunn says, “The client wanted a bamboo look to achieve a calm sophistication,” adding to the already complex design-plus-performance scenario.

Finding the right floors for Priority Care proved to be an easy task, thanks to Armstrong’s portfolio of high design, high performance, low maintenance floors in pediatric-friendly patterns and colors. Dunn specified TimberLine® for the waiting room, break room, corridors and nurse’s station, and MEDLEY™ for the exam rooms and as a corridor accent.

Dunn explains, “TimberLine offers a very real bamboo visual, while MEDLEY’s bright colors balance out the calming bamboo with playfulness. The two products merge together to provide a balance of texture and solids. I was particularly sold on the high performance urethane coating that adds protection and durability, as well as offers low maintenance. Plus, Armstrong is a brand I trust from previous experience, and the flooring was offered at a very competitive price point.”

Multiple colors in both product lines contribute to wayfinding patterns throughout the facility. Dunn explains, “Children and parents can be directed to the ‘orange hall’ exam rooms, or if they ask where the restrooms are, they can be directed to look for the ‘yellow rectangle.’” The colorful, curved navigational aids on the floor are complemented overhead in the ceiling plane with custom-cut Armstrong Ultima® and Dune™ commercial ceiling systems. Floor and ceiling work together producing a harmonious visual.

Friendly Floors with Benefits

TimberLine captures the appeal of genuine wood flooring. The authentic-looking woodgrain visuals are enhanced with species-appropriate texture and subtle gloss. The sophisticated surface embossing hides indentations, surface marring and subfloor irregularities, while the UV-cured coating protects the floors appearance and improves scuff mark resistance. In short, the floor has a realistic hardwood look but performs like a high performance, no polish/no buff low maintenance product.

MEDLEY’s 32 different colors are part of Armstrong’s leadership in color options. MEDLEY’s contemporary chip visual is more than attractive—it hides dirt and subfloor imperfections. The product’s flexible, homogeneous construction provides superior performance in sterile and aseptic environments, too.

Installation Excellence

Dunn says the finished installation “looks just like I envisioned it, with no surprises.” Although designed with a minimum of seams, Regents Flooring Company, Inc. used their most skilled craftspeople on this hospital flooring project. Jim Funderburke, project manager, says, “Our challenge was to create curved line patterns, insets and borders with net cut seams and adhesive bonding. We chose to sand each seam in order to ensure there were no burrs or other seam imperfections.” Funderburke says his company works on Armstrong installation projects on a daily basis, but adds, “We are particularly proud of the quality of workmanship, skills and precision our field personnel brought to this project.”

Service and Support

The regional Armstrong commercial floor rep, Brent Tesreau, was a key player on this project team. Dunn says he made recommendations for the best hospital flooring materials within the budget, answered technical questions throughout construction and followed up with a walk-through for the punch list after installation. She adds, “He even presented a ‘Flooring Maintenance 101’ course to the doctors, nurses, staff and maintenance crew the first week they moved in.” Armstrong has been trusted for exceptional service and support for more than 150 years.

The new Priority Care Pediatric floor installation was completed in February 2011. The collaboration between Armstrong, designer, installer and owner helped contribute to a successful outcome that is improving health care for Kansas City area kids.