Benji Bagwell, lead Engineering manager at Ultrafabrics, explains how upholstery can be soft, colourful, and robust enough to stand up to rigorous new cleaning regimes.
Emerging technologies based on biomimicry have, he explains in this article, led to the development of textiles that are hard-wearing and safe, yet retain the look and feel of fabric.
In the last decade, as the general public has become more design literate, interior design in the healthcare sector has moved away from a stark, institutional look to a hospitality aesthetic. Just as boutique hotels reflect character and comfort, and spas inspire calm and mindfulness, clinical areas have evolved from cold, white, functional rooms to become more welcoming spaces, softened by texture and colour.
Healthcare environments are refreshed on average every 20 to 25 years. Until recently, when specifying upholstery fabrics, interior designers specialised in this field have prioritised aesthetics, haptic perception (texture and weight),durability (tear strength and tensile strength), and longevity (abrasion, ‘double rubs’, and colourfastness). For polyurethane, a popular material in healthcare environments, the Association of Contract Textiles (ACT) standardised longevity through hydrolysis testing to evaluate its resistance to delamination (cracking and flaking), which can result from a combination of body heat, sweat, and air-conditioning. A number of additional industry initiatives were introduced to regulate the quality of these fabrics. In order to shield patients, families, and staff from toxic chemicals that can play a role in rising chronic diseases, a Healthy Interiors Initiative was launched.
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