A combination of Forbo Flooring System’s Eternal project vinyl and Surestep safety vinyl products have been installed at a £6m Neighbourhood Health Centre in Anfield, Liverpool, as part of a community engagement project.
Situated in a more deprived area of the City, the design team (consisting of LSHP, Galliford Try and IBI Taylor Young architects) were determined to build a health centre that the local community would be proud of, that would be sustainable in design and offer facilities and an environment that will last for a long period of time.
A great emphasis was placed on community involvement and engagement during The Townsend Lane development, from the beginning of the project through to completion. The community were able to put forward their requirements, whilst being kept in the loop in terms of the plans, money spent and benefits they will receive.
IBI Taylor Young worked closely with the doctors in terms of what they needed both from a design and practical point of view. The aesthetics had to reflect a fresh, vibrant and warm environment for the community, when they were either visiting the centre for an appointment or to join in with the local community initiatives, out of hours.
A combination of Eternal Marble and Eternal Wood were specified for the corridors, staff rooms and main patient areas, to provide a modern and fresh interior design for the patients and healthcare professionals alike. What’s more, Forbo’s Eternal range is R10 slip resistant and benefits from a PUR pearl finish, which makes the floorcovering easy to clean and its lasting performance guarantees that Eternal will stay in prime condition, even under heavy traffic conditions.
Drawing upon the natural characteristics of wood and natural material finishes, the products chosen featured warm zebrano and light beech wood effects, blended with feather and dove shades of neutral marble inspired design. This contrast in surface finishes additionally helped to aid those with reduced sight.
Likewise, elements from Forbo’s Step safety project vinyl collection were specified to provide the all-important safety flooring for washroom areas. Surestep Original (R10) is ideal for this project where a large number of elderly and vulnerable people will be visiting the centre on a daily basis.
Tim Wellman, Studio Associate at IBI Taylor Young Architects, sums up the overall interior design: “Rising from a palette of overlapping earth colours and finishes: exposed timber, pure white render, deep clay reds, slate blues and metallic dark greys, this new centre’s contemporary design of simple interlocking shapes is a pleasing contrast to the surrounding Victorian terraces reflected in the large areas of glass encompassing the buildings public areas.
“This project was a real success and we are positive that this health centre will be a huge asset for everyone in the community.”
Selecting flooring for healthcare settings can be extremely challenging, as they contain such a diverse range of applications. However, with Forbo’s large product portfolio, specifiers are able to obtain all the products needed for a healthcare project like The Townsend Lane development from one supplier, so both time and money is significantly saved.