Spectrum Health - Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
Grand Rapids, MI
Category: 2019 Unique Installation Challenge
Silver Winner Healthcare
Designer: Spectrum Health Design Team
Starnet Member:
Century Floor Space
Starnet Preferred Vendors:
ARDEX, Johnsonite By Tarkett, Mannington Commercial Carpet, MAPEI, Matter Surfaces, Roppe, Spray-Lock, Inc.
Project Strategy
Unique Installation Challenge Category
It starts as you come into the city of Grand Rapids via the highways crossing over the Grand River – waves and circles. Commercial manufacturers have called Grand Rapids home for generations, and in this mecca of design and innovation, Spectrum Health went beyond expectations with this project at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital to incorporate a city-wide concept.
The concept of waves, circles, and specific colors that calm and inspire - is on billboards, city street light signs, print media, electronic media, and social media. Century was asked by the Spectrum Hospital design team if they could plan, coordinate, install and deliver on time this huge project that covers 25,000 square feet. This wave pattern flatters a walkway over Michigan Avenue and continues around the high-rise hospital using reflective materials and tinted glass.
As a unique installation challenge category entry, this project demanded special attention to detail. Hospital work can be tricky at best, especially in a children’s emergency department. Aligning the proper degree of the wave in floor patterns to match outdoor structures and signage along freeways, performing exacting work with colors to create floors that coordinate with the top of blankets, cubicle curtains, directional signage, and furniture was not an easy feat. Century was tasked with the challenge of careful cuts of varying circles in carpet, vinyl, and walk off mats – and we accepted with a resounding yes!
All Starnet flooring professionals face challenges: getting the right color material, aligning installers with “the plan”, and making sure staging and acclimation considerations are under control, etc. However, in hospitals you face even more installation challenges: working with children and families, a 24-hour environment, partial hallway blockages, turning off the right sections of sprinklers at the right time, coordinating technical support for computer shutdowns and moves, temporary signage to move patients, families, and employees to safe areas. All these things while still protecting access and privacy to children and their families in times of struggle. At a moment’s notice, all things can come to a stop as a child is being carried into emergency for help. Our workers constantly strived to stay on schedule, follow the rules, and occasionally re-open elevators and stop work simply because a child comes first.
As you enter from the street, you first notice the walk-off carpet tiles with intricately cut circles of varying colors, and then the Children’s Emergency through sliding double doors to stand at the charge desk on a beautifully designed entrance mat from Mats Inc. The entrance mat also features the same colors and shapes welcoming everyone to the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. One notices the curvature of the office desks that emulate the waves on the building outside, and circle cut-outs in the desk fronts that match the spacious waiting room filled with colorful furniture, along with more waves and circles. You can see the children wanting to play on the floor, use the toys and wait their turn to be seen.
Once you enter the hallways, the theme continues atop of bed items, cubicle curtains and more. The waves on the floor disappear into a corner room and then emerge again somewhere else to keep the pattern going throughout the room. Spectrum employees have told us that people stop them in the halls to compliment the thought and effort put into the project. It is inspiring, eclectic, and completes the entire process that began outside nearly two years ago by aligning our wonderful Starnet vendors, our talented installation team and a lot of commitment from our two key employees, Steve Frozley, Account Manager, and Jeremy Cook, Project Manager.
The team at Spectrum was dedicated and helpful in making this project a complete success. Century would like to recognize Spectrum’s on-staff design team for creating this masterpiece, as well as our Starnet vendors. As you can see in the photographs, the final project delivered is beautiful, contemporary, and blends all aspects that incorporate a city, a hospital, architecture, and most importantly colors were chosen to keep kids calm, happy and engaged in their healing. The entry mat combines all aspects of design, beauty, waves, circles, and completes this project that is truly one for the children.
Unique Installation Challenge Strategy
See above summary.