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A complete floors and walls solution from Altro has been used to create a relaxing, stylish home from home environment for mums- to-be in a new birth centre at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital.
The new midwife-led Fatima Allam Birth Centre meets the needs of women who want a more natural childbirth experience.
Andrew Ledger, contracts manager for Apleona, which provides facilities management for the building, oversaw the new construction and was part of the team that devised the overall concept.
“We specified Altro floors and walls from the start because we
are using these products elsewhere in the hospital with a great deal of success. They meet all our clinical hygiene and infection control needs, while also offering a superb range of colours and textures, which makes them ideal for creating a modern and stylish environment.
“The quality and durability of Altro is a major factor too because, as a PFI project, the long-term cost is under close scrutiny.
Adele Howitt, from Studio Eleven Gallery & Workshop in Hull, won a commission from the hospital to design the interior concept.
“Once we had decided on colours, we worked closely with Altro to look at the specific products. They completely understood our practical and aesthetic needs.”
“I used Altro Whiterock Digiclad to create statement walls from floor to ceiling. This is a fantastic product for design-led projects because you can print any image or photograph onto it, and the quality is superb.”
Adele chose Altro Whiterock Satins for the shower rooms. She says “It has some wonderful shades, and the subtle, sheer texture is very stylish.”
Flooring for the birth centre was key to creating the homely, non- clinical feel. Andrew Ledger and the project team wanted natural, warm, wood-effect flooring and chose Altro Wood.
Andrew says: “Wet areas in clinical environments need to be very safe underfoot, so we chose Altro Pisces safety flooring for both the shower rooms and around the birthing pool. This flooring performs superbly in both wet or dry conditions, and with bare feet or shoes, so it’s perfect for keeping both patients and staff safe. Altro Pisces also looks good enough to work within our design themes and there are some great colours.”
The flooring was installed by Floorcovers UK. Partner Phil Morris said: “For quality and reliability Altro is the best, and they are a pleasure to work with.
The Altro wall sheet was fitted by Richardson Claddings. Owner Joe Richardson comments:
“The beauty of the Altro walls system is that it is so quiet, easy and clean to install. Altro sends the sheets to us ready-cut, which means minimal cutting or shaping on site.”
Andrew Ledger says: “We get a lot of medical professionals visiting from around the world and they say the centre is the best of its kind they have seen anywhere.
“Most importantly, the mothers who have given birth here are thrilled with it too.
“After each birth, the rooms are completely disinfected and cleaned, and the Altro floors and walls are proving very easy to maintain.
“We are delighted with this amazing facility.”
All information is correct at the time of print and is subject to change without prior notice. Visit us at www.altro.co.uk for more information and updates.
For further information on Altro’s vast product range of integrated flooring and wall cladding systems: 01462 707604 enquiries@altro.com www.altro.co.uk
In refining their colour offering, CS worked with specialist Colour Consultants, undertaking a thorough review of contemporary design schemes across market sectors, as well as current trends in materials and patterns.
