Summary of the project:
Thionville’s Mother & Baby Hospital, designed by Valentine Rieder architecture firm, has received a comprehensive protection package incorporating many of CS’ world renowned products. To meet the reception quality, general comfort and environmental targets in line with this project the unit’s walls are protected from impact damage by robust Acrovyn product’s such as Acrovyn Sheet and SO-50 Corner Guards. Also, hygienic, gasketed GFS expansion joint covers were supplied to the project to accommodate building movement safely.
The Project in detail: Mother & Baby Unit
The Thionville area is in a unique location, on the banks of the river Moselle in the Grand Est region, bordering Luxembourg and Germany. The department enjoys a certain economic, cultural and social energy thanks to its geographic position.
Over the years, the areas around Metz and Thionville have seen many new healthcare buildings being built and opened, leading to a diverse range of healthcare facilities. In 1976, the Hospital Centres merged to become an Intercommunal Hospital Centre. A year later, the Minister for Health and Families, Simone Veil, upgraded the nine separate facilities to the legal rank of Regional Hospital Centre (CHR): what is now the CHR Metz-Thionville.
Strategic developments and refurbishments
Thionville’s ageing healthcare buildings and hospitals have been refurbished over the past few years, to improve the quality of services and patient care, while also increasing their energy efficiency.
The Bel Air Hospital has now begun work on a Mother & Baby Unit after undertaking a major project to insulate its facade. Metz-Thionville Regional Hospital, as the project owner, is focussing on modernisation, accessibility, reception quality and general comfort with this project.
Following the demolition of the old gynaecology consultation building, this design-and-build contract skilfully combines refurbishment with new build and is led by the Valentine Rieder architecture firm.
As a specialist in hospital architecture and planning, the firm emerged as the bid winner in 2016. The project management team also includes Bouygues Bâtiment Nord-Est and ARTELIA, a technical design company
At the heart of the project
With a size of over 11,000m², the unit offers rooms with the hotel-like comfort that patients have come to expect and a complete range of medical services in gynaecology, perinatal care and paediatrics. These services are backed up by complementary and alternative medicines, to provide full support for families in the Thionville catchment area and further afield.
Materials used for the exterior facade match those of the existing buildings, aesthetically in keeping with the site’s visual impression. The green roof terraces and a new children’s outside play area promote the comfort and well-being of patients and nursing staff alike, in line with the client’s requirements.
The building’s interior design and finishes were similarly designed, along the regional hospital’s guidelines, with a focus on sustainable and responsible design, such as the use of Acrovyn® materials.
Prevention is better than cure!
The hospital’s board of directors were particularly concerned with comfort and quality in the reception area. The regional hospital wanted to instil a lasting feeling of ‘cocooning’ and well-being for the many families entering this level B2 maternity hospital. The project management team pre-empted wear and tear by using specialist materials.
2mm-thick Acrovyn sheets were selected to protect the walls in the hospital’s corridors. Fitted edge to edge to a height of 600mm, the panels prevent damage on the lower section of the walls. This is the area most likely to be hit by trolleys and wheelchairs or to even get splashed when someone accidentally spills their coffee. Their neutral and soft colour (Grey Cloud-801) coordinates with the off-white of the freshly painted fibre glass wall coverings and the pale wood joinery.
To prevent corner wear and tear, they installed Acrovyn® corner protectors on all of the corridors’ outward-facing corners. 50mm-wide SO corner guards also protect window corners and interior joinery. Acrovyn® sheets are installed using glue or adhesive and protect protruding wall areas from scratches. They are particularly effective against impact caused by trolleys, whether they are used to transport meals, cleaning equipment or laundry. The corner protectors are factory-cut to cover corners up to a height of 1985 mm. They also prevent the appearance of wear marks and dark streaks that can develop when many people brush up closely against walls over time.
Managing the risk of infection in operating theatres
As the new operating theatres need to be the most sterile place in the whole hospital, they are also protected with Acrovyn® sheets.
Acrovyn® surfaces are bacteriostatic so they hinder bacteria growth. They can withstand even the most aggressive detergents and hot steam disinfection. These properties make them very helpful in places where strict hygiene standards are a must. Acrovyn® is a robust and shock-resistant material. It stops cracks from appearing on walls when they get hit, which could become a breeding ground for bacteria.
It is harder for microorganisms and infectious diseases to survive in operating theatres with Acrovyn® sheets, making them the ideal choice in this project. Acrovyn® sheets can be hot-welded using silicone cords and finished off with thermoformed corners, so they form a waterproof layer, like a hygienic barrier, making everything easier to clean.
How do GFS joint covers contribute to hospital hygiene?
GFS is a floor-to-floor joint cover. Composed of aluminium sections and a co-extruded expansion strip, the joint cover absorbs expansion movements to prevent cracks and gaps, keeping the building hygienic in the long term. The GFS joint cover’s smooth, watertight surface blocks dust accumulation and stops water getting in when the floor is being washed, in turn preventing bacteria and mould from growing.
Credit photo: Cyrille PAWLOSKI
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