A human-centred approach to design may not be more important than healthcare design. In these spaces, we experience some of the deepest moments of our lives, and support from healthcare providers, family, friends, and the environment around us can make a meaningful difference. 3form’s products enable designers to use design as the backbone of delivering high-quality care and harness the power of color, light and image to create spaces that promote the healing and well-being of patients, visitors and staff.

Laura Franzluebbers, Senior Interior Designer at HDR – a leading design firm specializing in engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services – is an expert in people-centred design. With years of experience designing specifically for healthcare, she has developed an innate sense of how humans use healthcare spaces and what works best for them. “I focus on how people experience the whole picture of the hospital. How people live, work and, of course, receive care,” Franzluebbers said. “It’s to make their experience more enjoyable, even though it’s probably the most stressful period of their life.”

Repeating patterns of forests, tree rings and leaves provide an abstract natural image.

3 Forms We have long known that stress plays a crucial role in the speed of healing and that biophilic design elements can relieve anxiety for better patient outcomes. Whether it’s a nature-inspired color palette, plenty of natural light, or patterns reminiscent of a nature scene, these visual cues help relax our minds and allow our bodies to heal. 3form’s latest collection of nature-inspired graphic patterns offers the intersection of these three principles. Represented by repeating patterns of forests, tree rings and leaves, the scalable patterns provide abstract natural visions in soft, natural colors that can be applied to translucent panels of Varia or 3form Glass to allow natural light to pass through. When used to define and divide spaces in medical environments, organic patterns provide biophilic benefits, while materials provide the extreme durability and performance required in high-traffic medical spaces.

The translucent Varia features warm tones inspired by nature, allowing natural light to flood into this serene retreat.

HDR senior interior designer Jessica Doolittle has worked in healthcare design for over 25 years, during which time she has developed expertise in incorporating natural elements into healthcare spaces with sophistication and subtlety. “I’m excited to hear about the abstract concepts in 3form’s new collection,” says Doolittle. “Biophilia doesn’t have to be literal in nature. The direction now is to do close-ups and abstracts that suggest nature.”

This earthy, natural shade of natural tones creates a calming comfort.

Doolittle also recognized the ability of color to affect the mood of residents in a space. A project she’s currently working on has some limitations, but her choice of softshell colors and ocean blues provides her clients with the biophilic calming quality they need when seeing coastal colors in nature. 3 Forms 2022 Color Collection Featuring the same style, with tranquil blues, moss greens and sand golds inspired by the California coast.Durable when applied Varialuminescent Chromaand smooth grassthe collection brings the tranquility and comfort of the outdoors to healthcare spaces.

Stained glass creates a soft blue hue in the lobby space for architectural interest.

Both Franzluebbers and Doolittle expect that healthcare design will continue to prioritize user experience. Comfortable lounges and other amenities where people can take a break are becoming more common. Textures and furniture styles previously reserved for hotels and residences are now making their way into medical spaces to make patients feel at home. Also, the palettes used to communicate infertility are evolving to be warmer and more inviting. There is a clear focus on designing spaces so that visitors feel more comfortable and belong. 3form’s collection addresses this need and helps designers prioritize the emotional well-being of their patients so that they can have the best experience during difficult times in their lives.