The schemes involving color, layout, flow and lighting can be very creative. However, it’s finding the fabrics, wallpapers, paint, flooring and lighting that adhere to the government codes that can become a challenge. All interiors in hospitals are required to be flame retardant. It’s amazing to discover how many different flame retardants there are in the world. Because the resources are limited, the creative process is also limited in medical interior design. Having knowledge of these codes and retardants, being familiar with the companies that manufacture the products is definitely a requirement for anyone who wants to enter this field.
Differences in Medical Interior Design
There is a vast difference, within medical interior design, to work with a random doctor’s office compared to a large medical complex. Nearly any interior designer can design the interior of a doctor’s office. This often boils down to simply designing the interior of the doctor’s lobby. In recent years, these lobbies and waiting rooms have grown to become more stylish. The doctors often delegate the entire project to the designer, and as a result the project can turn out to be quite extraordinary.
Problems arise when the doctors who know little about interior design become too involved in the design process. That may result in a waiting room with a boring, stale appearance. If the designer is permitted to design the examination rooms, the project quickly gets more exciting. There is a certain decorum which must be achieved in these offices, as in all Medical interior design. However, with the influence of an interior designer, the interiors can be very pretty or at least “interesting.” More doctors are coming to realize that a smartly decorated office will equate into more relaxed patients. They then are more willing to invest the money and retain a designer.
Designing a large medical complex is a vast undertaking. It will require a large experienced design staff and may require more than a year to complete. The good news is, it can be financially lucrative for the lead interior designer.
Spas and skin care salons that are springing up everywhere in today’s market has led to yet another form of medical interior design. While the surroundings may be luxurious they still have to come up to government code standards. Actually, the spas and salons that have appeared, have helped the medical interior design field in general. More manufacturers are now producing specified code standard paint, wallpaper, flooring and fabrics. There is a new demand is for more colorful products, which in turn helps the medical interior designer because she or he now has greater freedom of in creative abilities.
