Harrison Medical Center

Armourcoat Spatulata has been specified for use at the new Heart and Vascular Center at Harrison Medical Center, Bremerton WA.

Local architects Rice Fergus Miller have used the distinctive wall finish to act as a memorable landmark within the reception space, and complement the curved cherry entrance wall and site branding.

The Spatulata finish is pure luxury. Pioneered by the Egyptians, improved by the Romans, it became known as 'stucco lustro veneziano' by the Venetians. Modern additives have greatly improved the working characteristics enabling it to be successfully applied in just 3-4 layers and polished to a glassy shine with a small steel blade or trowel.

The $14.6 million Heart and Vascular Center - serving the healthcare needs of residents in a four-county area on the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas - is designed for clinical efficiency while at the same time enhancing quality of care and increasing patient safety. 

Designing for Healthcare

Armourcoat attended the Healthcare Design (HCD) Convention and Expo in Nashville in November.

Studies have shown design-led healthcare interiors can have significant positive effects on patient, staff and visitors well being.  Careful choices in design can promote healing, relieve patient pain and stress, and reduce medical errors.  Hospitals are adopting Evidence-Based Design (EBD) in new constructions, expansions or re-modeling.

The 2012 HCD, held this year at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, brought together luminaries from the industry to discuss topics such as "New Directions in the Future of Healthcare Design".  There was general acceptance of evidence-based design (EBD), its recommendations, and the need for further research in this area by the very people in the industry who implement it.

A recent quote by Randy Kirk, MS, project specialist for The Methodist Hospital in ‘Contract’ magazine; "No one wants to go to the hospital, so let's make it feel a little less clinical and more like a comfortable home." The Methodist Hospital Outpatient Center, a 27-story building in Houston, was designed by local WHR Architects.  Choices in quality fabric, floor finishes, wall coverings and coatings all play a part – think more ‘hospitality’ than ‘hospital’.

We were delighted to participate in this key event at such an important time for the industry.  Armourcoat finishes are a perfect match for specifiers looking for tough and durable wall finishes and treatments.  They are highly suitable for commercial projects such as hospitals, where cleanliness is essential and vital to patient care quality.