Altro Floors, Walls and Doors Health and Aged Care Case Studies
Contents:
Austin Health - wet environments and tile-look wall protection
GMMH North View Hospital - custom walling and biophilic design
Woodlands Care Home - flooring and walling specifically for dementia care
Hellesdon Rivers Centre - all spaces refurbishment of active site
Laya Healthcare - adhesive-free flooring and bathrooms
Bassetlaw Hospital - all spaces development of urgent care clinic
Animal Management Centre - safety flooring and wall protection
Approach
Austin Health's brand new mental health facility has been thoughtfully designed to support wellbeing, dignity and long term performance. The building features a beautiful, spacious layout with light filled communal areas, large windows and doors, and seamless access to a calming green outdoor space, creating an environment that feels open, welcoming and restorative for patients, staff and visitors alike.
Altro safety floors and wall protection sheets were chosen for all wet areas throughout the facility They were selected for their hygiene, durability, cleanability and ease of maintenance.
For this project, Altro Tegulis was specified for the first time, providing the aesthetic appeal of tiles while eliminating common drawbacks such as grout lines, cracking and ongoing maintenance. The result is a contemporary tile look finish that supports both design intent and practical performance in high use wet areas
Altro’s wet area flooring, Aquarius, was paired with Altro Tegulis and Altro Whiterock Satins to create a cohesive, high quality finish throughout bathrooms and wet zones Working with a single, trusted supplier also streamlined project delivery, ensuring consistency, reliability and ease of installation throughout.
To further enhance durability in high traffic areas, Altro Fortis door protection systems were installed. Altro Fortis is built for durability and long-term performance, helping future-proof the facility by reducing wear and tear in busy healthcare environments
The result is a modern, resilient healthcare environment that balances aesthetics, functionality and long term value, supporting Austin Health’s commitment to quality care and thoughtful design
Solution
To create the bespoke designs for the walls, Altro Whiterock Digiclad (Custom) was specified Hard-coat technology provides scratch-resistant properties for added surface protection of the chosen designs. The custom printable wall panels provide a durable, easyto-clean solution for areas that need to look attractive. Altro Whiterock Digiclad (Custom) also provides ease of maintenance with a 10-year product guarantee
Testimonials
“The walls are fully wipeable, and the cleaning staff have not made any complaints about its cleanability It is a lot tougher than putting up wallpaper and there have been no issues with the walls since the installation The feedback from staff and patients is very positive and we would use Altro Whiterock Digiclad (Custom) on any future projects ”
"The Trust chose the custom Altro wall sheets for their hygiene, impact-resistance, durability and anti-pick benefits.”
Peter O’Sullivan, Capital Projects Manager, GMMH NHS Foundation
Issue
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) North View Hospital is a £105.9 million bespoke, state-of-the-art adult mental health inpatient hospital that includes a purpose-built Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and adult acute and olderadult wards GMMH North View Hospital delivers a state-of-the-art therapeutic environment to support service user recovery and enable staff to deliver the highest quality of care.
Approach
The design ethos for GMMH North View Hospital was always ‘More Than Just a Building’ This attitude focused attention on what users of the building (service users, staff and visitors) might feel and experience With the space prioritising service user comfort, dignity and recovery and staff satisfaction and wellbeing.
To meet this ethos, the individual wards were designed with a biophilic theme, and the project team were keen for the designs to incorporate local nature, and for the colours to flow into each ward’s theme.
Solution
Designer Vickie Nickolls from Interior Therapy selected a package of Altro products, each with qualities and characteristics particularly suited to the care home environment, including some DSDC accredited ranges. This includes Altro Wood Comfort acoustic slip resistant flooring in hallways and bedrooms, Altro Wood adhesive-free in the lounge and dining areas and Altro Pisces specialist safety flooring in ensuites, coupled with Altro Tegulis tile effect wall panels for a seamless finish. In the kitchens, Altro Stronghold 30 specialist safety flooring was combined with Altro Whiterock White wall cladding
Testimonials
“My brief was to create a calming environment that felt like a home from home, somewhere that felt like you could be sitting in your own living room, and specifically designed for residents with dementia.”
“The fact that some products were DSDC accredited was the deciding factor, as this supported my designs on what colours worked best and also with what style was best suited for a dementia-friendly environment.”
Vickie Nickolls, Designer
Issue
The Woodlands Residential Care Home team wanted to expand and upgrade its facilities whilst ensuring a calming, home-from-home environment, specifically designed for residents with dementia. The refurbishment project involved extending the existing facilities to create more space, adding a dedicated beauty salon and family reading room, as well as redecorating all the bedrooms, living areas and ensuites.
Approach
The project was designed to ensure as little disruption as possible to all residents living in the existing care home. This was achieved by planning and executing the project in various stages so that there was no impact on the day-to-day lives of the residents or disruption to their care. Products needed to be wellsuited to the specific challenges of dementia care environments, with LRV information and other performance characteristics readily available
Hellesdon Rivers Centre
Solution
A range of Altro products were specified throughout the Rivers Centre. Altro Illustra in colour Skyfall provides circulation areas, bedrooms, and communal spaces with safety under foot. Altro Illustra in colour Soft Blush, and Altro Whiterock Satins in colour- Blush were used to provide reduced ligature and a hygienic solution in seclusion rooms. Altro Pisces in colour Lighthouse, and Altro Whiterock Satins in colour Promenade were installed in bathroom ensuites.
Throughout the rest of the Rivers Centre Altro Whiterock Satins in colours Blush, Fawn, Cesco, Flint, Clarity, Mint, White and Promenade were used in ensuites, seclusion suite, kitchenettes, and laundry with Altro Walkway 20 in colour Blizzard installed in the kitchen
Testimonials
“The flooring has maintained its appearance after 10 months, with no snags or defects. The client is pleased, and installation went smoothly with minimal issues ” Katie Fenn Project Manager, VINCI Building
“The installation was efficient and seamless and we’re now refurbishing more mental health units to the same high standard using Altro products ” Jason Carter, Elite Interiors
Issue
Consisting of three new ward buildings that were codesigned with patients, the £55m Rivers Centre at Hellesdon Hospital, run by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), was built to provide a bespoke and therapeutic setting for mental health patients. The wards were designed to enhance the safety, dignity, and privacy of those receiving care, in accordance with government guidelines.
Approach
Products used needed to meet the Procure23 framework and BREEAM standards with consideration to reduced ligature throughout. Integrated Health Projects (IHP), the joint venture between VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine, working with architects Murphy Philipps, Elite Interiors and Blade Flooring consulted with NSFT, who wanted to invest in products they knew would deliver the technical specification and meet their expectations
Solution
Altro adhesive-free floors helped to meet the build schedules Altro Cantata adhesive-free in colour Crème Caramel was specified for communal areas. Altro Cantata adhesive-free features Altro’s most advanced cleaning technology ensuring ease of maintenance and enhanced infection control together with impact sound reduction of 14dB
Altro Wood adhesive-free in colour Champagne Oak was specified for offering high levels of comfort underfoot providing a safe, durable and biophilic solution for the busy circulation and waiting areas
For the showers, changing rooms and toilets, where the risk of a slip was higher, Altro Pisces in colour Cuttlefish was specified affording lifetime sustained slip resistance and a soft-look shade
Testimonials
"This latest addition to PHP's portfolio reinforces our commitment to investing in high-quality, sustainable healthcare infrastructure " Mark Davies, Chief Executive, PHP
Issue
Laya Healthcare have been creating new healthcare and wellbeing clinics in Ireland The brief was to design environments that cater to the diverse needs of all users, including those with neurodiversity, creating a comfortable, welcoming and efficient healthcare experience Spaces also needed to support staff wellbeing, be beautiful, functional, balancing clinical operational needs with a desired patient experience.
Approach
Design of the spaces included patient facing areas, nurses’ station, X-Ray waiting area and MRI suite, stairwells, toilets and shower rooms, and operating theatre prep and recovery rooms Staff changing rooms, showers and toilets also needed to be installed with flooring for comfort and slip resistance
To also meet the sustainability criteria, and keep the project to tight completion timescales, speed of installation was critical.
Issue
The newly developed Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) and Minor Injuries services at Bassetlaw Hospital are designed to provide rapid assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for patients with urgent conditions, allowing them to return home the same day and avoid overnight hospital admissions. The project required floors and walls that would be durable and reliable in this busy, high-traffic area, while also providing a homely, comfortable environment for patients and staff Product availability was an important consideration to avoid delays on this timesensitive project
Approach
A proven package of AU-sourced Altro floors and walls was recommended to ensure timescales were met without compromising performance, hygiene or aesthetics.
Solution
P+HS Architects chose popular Altro safety floors: the contemporary Altro Illustra used in the main circulation spaces, Altro Wood to bring a softness to the waiting areas and nurses’ station and specialist Altro Pisces to bring a modern homely feel to the wet areas and toilets.
Altro Whiterock Satins hygienic wall cladding and the bespoke Altro Whiterock Digiclad (Custom) also feature in treatment rooms and waiting areas. The installer, A Cumberlidge Ltd, worked out of hours where needed to minimise disruption and deliver a faultless finish.
Testimonials
“We need to know we have used the right products for the job – especially given the amount of footfall We know we always get useful input from the team at Altro.” Roger Marshall Capital Project Manager
“Altro has such a great reputation for its safety aspects and durability and the fact that it works just as well aesthetically too is why we like to specify it,”
Hayley Hunter Interior Designer
Animal Management Centre
Issue
The new, circular, building at Grimsby Institute provides modern teaching spaces and animal welfare facilities including a veterinary practice with overnight accommodation, kennels, a dog grooming parlour, treatment rooms, and housing for different animal species including parrots and guinea pigs The centre required flooring solutions that offered robust slip resistance to minimise accidents ensuring a secure footing for both humans and animals, particularly in high-traffic and potentially wet zones Durability and ease of cleaning were also key concerns, as maintaining a hygienic environment is essential for animal health and welfare
Approach
Solution
To meet the demanding requirements, the architect, Farrell and Clark specified Altro floors to Grimsby TEC Partnership, and S&D Flooring Ltd were responsible for the project installation
Altro Suprema, with superior stain, abrasion and scratch resistance was specified for the animal wellbeing areas. Altro Reliance 25 provided slip resistance in communal areas with Altro Whiterock White hygienic wall cladding providing protection in all required areas.
Testimonials
“We’re absolutely delighted with the installation of our new Altro flooring The process was smooth, professional and tailored to the unique needs of our Animal Management Centre ”
“Working with a space that houses a wide variety of animals means durability, hygiene and safety are essential, and the Altro products have exceeded our expectations on every front ”
Reggie Claricoates, Building & Projects Coordinator
A complete Altro floor and wall system was recommended to ensure smooth room transitions, tightly welded joints, and raised upstands at wall junctions minimising dirt traps and making cleaning easier The floor also needed to be suitable for an underfloor heating system, and flexible enough to be cut to fit the intricate layout of the centre
“The flooring is incredibly easy to clean, provides excellent slip resistance and has made a noticeable difference to the centres daily running Staff and students have commented on how much brighter and safer the environment feels ”
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