When specialist fitted-furniture fabricator, Medspace, was commissioned by IHP to design and install workstations and a reception desk at Eastbourne Hospital’s new Elective Care Hub, it needed to achieve an outcome that perfectly balanced form and function.

For the project team, led by head designer, Carl Lindsey, working closely with architects, Gilling Dod, the pieces had to be structurally robust and meet the stringent requirements and regulations associated with modern healthcare facilities; all finishes specified needed to be impact-resistant and easy-to-clean, maintaining strict hygiene standards.

This meant careful consideration when it came to choosing surfaces, so the team approached long-time timber, panels, and décors distribution partner, James Latham, for advice.

While a variety of options were considered, they were quickly drawn to one in particular: HIMACS.

Lindsey said: “HIMACS is one of the most-innovative solid surfaces available and what immediately impresses is how easy it is to work with, saving a massive amount of time during fabrication and installation.

“This is critical when everyone’s under immense pressure to get a medical facility operational as soon as possible.

“That’s not all, its ability to be seamlessly joined is another significant advantage, enabling the creation of expansive work surfaces.

“It’s an essential requirement in a setting like this, as it helps reduce the growth of germs and bacteria, which can accumulate in any exposed gaps between sheets.

“These hygienic properties are further enhanced by its high-resistance to scratching, denting, and moisture, making it able to withstand regular physical contact without the superficial or integral performance being affected. Simply, it answered the brief on so many levels.”

Gilling Dod and Medspace’s decision to use HIMACS went beyond its upfront performance abilities. Aesthetics also played an important role in the material’s selection.

Available in a vast range of colours, its structural properties allow it to be carved, sculpted, and thermoformed into a wide variety of different shapes from gentle arcs or fine points to twisted bars and intricate inlays.

The reception desk, particularly, stands out.

Here, the team chose clean and crisp HIMACS Arctic Granite and creamy-brown HIMACS Suede for subtle, yet distinctive, results.

The visually-striking two-tone piece, accentuated with smooth curved details, immediately catches the eye, making a statement that invites interaction.

Elsewhere, two-tier workstations were designed to make best use of limited space, creating plenty of robust surfaces on which to carry out daily routines safely and hygienically.

Lindsey said: “We wanted to achieve something a little different from typical healthcare reception areas, which are usually pretty bland.

“These are rooms in which people often spend extended periods of time and we wanted to avoid visual monotony while delivering a calming and tranquil atmosphere for staff, patients and visitors alike.”

Joe Sepede, specification manager at James Latham, adds: “HIMACS remains one of the most-innovative surfacing materials on the market, and its unique performance qualities make it perfect for healthcare facilities.

“Specifically, its resistance to damage, non-porous surface, and ability to seamlessly join sheets, leaving no gaps, make it hygienic and low maintenance.

“However, what makes this truly special is the aesthetic flair Gilling Dod and the Medspace team put into making functional and usually-characterless pieces of furniture so visually appealing, taking advantage of HIMACS’ extensive colour palate and its thermoforming properties.

“This project really showcases the material’s versatility and its suitability for use in busy, high-footfall environments.”