Construction has recently finished on a new Hyper-Acute Stroke Unit at Maidstone Hospital, part of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, which will now form one of three specialist Hyper-Acute Stroke Units in Kent and Medway.
The refurbishment works have provided extended bed facilities and upgraded support spaces, and were undertaken in a ‘live’ hospital environment, with a busy corridor running through the middle of the works area. Project architects, Hazel McCormack Young, and main contractor, WW Martin, required an interior ceiling solution that could support health and wellbeing while delivering a ‘clean, white, and fresh aesthetic’ suitable for a hospital environment. A suitable ceiling tile was also required for the shower rooms, an environment high in heat and moisture.
The construction works took place in a ‘live’ hospital environment, which meant the ceiling solution needed to be installed promptly and with ease to minimise any disruption. Zentia’s Biobloc and Hydrobloc ranges formed an effective solution, not only providing a modern and bright white ceiling, but also offering enhanced hygiene, longevity, and acoustic performance.
In all, 2500 m2 of white Biobloc Plain was installed in the main patient areas throughout the ward. The Biobloc Plain ceiling tiles are specially designed for healthcare environments, with a specialised biocide coating that inhibits bacterial growth. Easily disinfected, they also offer high light reflectance and a sound attenuation level of 35 dB.
Zentia’s Hydrobloc ceiling tiles – a specialist tile designed to function in high humidity areas – were used in the ward’s shower rooms. Also high in light reflectance, they are rated Class A in sound absorption, and remain stable in temporary conditions of up to 100% Relative Humidity (RH).
The tiles were installed by KRS Interiors, a member of Zentia’s Pinnacle Partner Scheme, meaning the company was able to access off-cut recycling through Zentia, ‘minimising waste and enhancing the project’s sustainability credentials’.