Interior design trends are always changing. As a society, our preferences develop to reflect how we feel and what’s important in the time we are living in. Healthcare design is no exception to this. It’s perhaps one of the first places you may see a new design trend or style emerge. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the changes to current design styles are especially clear. Architects, designers, staff, and patients are all looking for long-term solutions. Solutions that will make healthcare spaces feel cleaner, safer, and more welcoming than ever before. As these post-COVID design trends emerge, we’d like to touch on a few that we think will be especially prevalent in years to come.
1. Evidence-Based Design
At ForWard Headwall, we’ve been proponents of Evidence-Based Design (EBD) for several years now. To us, EBD has become a philosophy, not just a trend.
With the growing accessibility of data, we have more information than ever while making design decisions. Using this data will create more hospitable environments, better supporting hospital staff and their unique patients. This is necessary in several ways and even helps to increase employee retention. This, in turn, offers easier and more comprehensive care for patients.
2. Cleanable Surfaces
Cleanability and infection control aren’t new concepts in the world of healthcare. However, the COVID-19 pandemic definitely drew more focus to them, both in and out of hospitals. Curved corners, hard surface flooring, and bacteria-resistant materials are just some of the design trends we may see come back in the near future. They are easier to clean and less susceptible to carrying germs and diseases. Although sometimes it may be challenging to balance cleanability with pleasing design, using products like ForWard Solid Surface makes it easier to ensure peace of mind for your patients and staff.
3. Biophilic Design
Biophilia has been around for decades, but it seems to be making a comeback with the rise of technology and uber-minimalism. Gardens and terraces contrast more clinical spaces throughout hospitals, providing a space for patients and staff alike to spend time in natural, therapeutic environments. Even without designated garden areas, incorporating greenery and natural lighting could be enough to boost morale of those spending time in hospitals. As more and more organizations begin to see these benefits, we will see a growing number of outdoor elements in our healthcare buildings.
4. Art & Designs
Aside from biophilic design, another element that we see trending is a more thematic design concept. Instead of the same cookie-cutter artwork in every doctor’s office, we’ll begin to see these rooms take on lives of their own. Adding life to what can be a stark healthcare setting is the original patient distraction. Changing up color palettes, adding unique artwork, and even incorporating new lights and sound can completely change a patient’s experience.
In execution, this design trend will be seen in:
- Natural flooring
- Stained-glass walls
- Upscale artwork
- Personal/local touches
Creating a welcoming environment for patients will result in them feeling more comfortable, and more likely to return.
5. Time, Flexibility, & Budget
Even as healthcare design trends change, a few things will always remain consistent: These projects will always need to be done on time, without compromises. The projects will need to be flexible and able to change if necessary, as we saw so many times through the pandemic. And, as always, cost will remain a huge consideration in all cases. Lead times are especially long right now as raw materials, especially metals, are not only difficult to get, but are growing more expensive as well. These factors will lead to more prefabrication and modular design, which can help alleviate these lead times and fluctuating costs.
While we are always building things to last, we also must make sure these products are flexible in nature. The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that we need to design in a way that maximizes use of our spaces. The spaces we design must be adaptable in more ways than one.
We will see this play out as hospitals begin to:
- Build more flexible rooms throughout their buildings
- Create easier access to mechanical and engineering capabilities
- Account for overflow
- Utilize telehealth capabilities
With all of these current healthcare design trends, one thing is clear: we are putting a greater value on patient and staff experience than ever before. As biophilic and thematic designs are incorporated, as EBD and cleanability are more heavily considered, the results will follow. Quality of care increases, employee retention improvements, and patient/visitor experiences will be just the beginning.
