by Brianna Crandall — November 25, 2015—When administrators at Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, were planning furnishings and finishes for the hospital’s 450,000-square-foot expansion, they selected nora flooring products to promote safety and a quiet environment for emotional and physical healing.
Taking to heart the many opinions and wishes that families, children, and caregivers shared with them, the administrators selected low-maintenance noraplan environcare and noraplan sentica rubber flooring in corridors, patient rooms, work stations, clinical spaces and waiting rooms.
Slip resistance
To support the family-centered design, administrators say they turned to rubber nora flooring for a variety of reasons, among them slip resistance and a steadier surface.
Acoustics
The floor’s acoustic properties were considered equally important to absorb noises for the patients who are trying to sleep and get better.
Low maintenance
Administrators also appreciate the floor’s simple maintenance regimen, which is especially important in a facility that operates 24/7.
“In a children’s hospital with full occupancy, we don’t have opportunities to wax and then remove the wax material,” said Arthur Brinkworth, construction project manager. The absence of wax, strippers, and other harsh cleaning products contributes to improved indoor air quality. “We really like the maintenance-free aspects of nora.”
Infection control
“And from an infection-control standpoint, the single flooring tiles can be heat-welded, so there are no cracks or crevices that bacteria can get into and contribute to an unsafe environment,” Davis added.
Opened last October, the world-renowned, full-service children’s hospital sees 7,000 people through its outpatient doors and 5,000 individuals through its inpatient doors on a daily basis.
Highlights of the expansion include 144 single-patient rooms; an expanded emergency and pediatric intensive care unit; the soaring five-story Anthony N. Fusco, Sr., Atrium; a rooftop healing garden; and the interactive Discovery Zone presented by duPont.
A brief video about the use of rubber flooring in the hospital and a written project brief describing the project in greater detail are available on the nora Web site.
