August Carrée GmbH

High design standards in the interior / the design is centred on the floor coverings. A modern medical centre surrounded by predominantly classical buildings: the August-Carrée in Oldenburg has successfully achieved this balancing act. With its high-quality brick façade, the newly constructed building complex blends harmoniously into the former barracks site.

The design standards are equally high inside – whilst ensuring compliance with hygiene standards. The complex houses nine doctors’ surgeries ranging in size from 160 to 300 square metres. It also includes a residential unit for intensive care patients, a medical supplies shop, a pharmacy, a physiotherapy practice and a hearing aid specialist.

“When it came to the design, we were keen to create a timeless aesthetic that would stand the test of time thanks to high-quality materials,” says architect Peer Gertenbach from the Herford-based firm Archwerk. Modern materials open up new design possibilities in the healthcare sector.

One example that illustrates this trend is floor coverings: they cover a relatively large area and thus define the character of a room. “Often, the entire design is based on the floor covering,” says Gertenbach. In the August-Carrée, 3,300 square metres of PURLINE wineo 1500 fusion XL in the ‘Pure Three’ design were installed by the Augustdorf-based flooring manufacturer Windmöller. Throughout the building, the flooring features an authentic natural stone look in an elegant grey, or various oak finishes to create a warmer, more homely atmosphere in selected areas. Specially tailored to the needs of architects and planners, the wineo 1500 fusion range features 16 finely graded shades of grey. This selection ensures the right shade of grey for every colour and material concept.

In day-to-day use, the flooring withstands all the demands that use in medical facilities can place on a floor covering. Its high resistance to RKI/VAH-listed disinfectants is a key factor. The properties of the resilient surface are also highly valued: it reduces impact and footfall noise, thereby ensuring low noise levels for patients. The extremely low maintenance requirements – generally, damp mopping with a small amount of cleaning agent is sufficient – are of particular benefit to cleaning staff, whilst practice operators are especially pleased with the cost-effectiveness: The PFIFF Institute for Applied Building Cleaning Technology (Memmingen) confirms that, over its entire service life, Purline Bioboden delivers an average cost saving of 30 per cent compared with all other standard floor coverings on the market.

The basis of the polyurethane flooring is the high-performance composite material ecuran, which consists predominantly of vegetable oils such as rapeseed or castor oil and naturally occurring mineral components such as chalk – without the addition of chlorine, plasticisers or solvents. Purline does not release any harmful substances into the indoor air and holds the Cradle to Cradle Silver certificate, which recognises the flooring as particularly sustainable. “It was precisely this ecological and sustainable approach that was a decisive factor in the choice of flooring,” says Gertenbach.

When designing medical practices and medical centres, increasing attention is being paid to ensuring that visitors and patients feel at ease, the architect believes. An appealing aesthetic also has a positive effect on staff motivation: “People can sense when spaces are based on a good, well-thought-out design, when surfaces and colours are in keeping with the overall concept. This is appreciated by everyone and perceived as a sign of respect,” says Gertenbach.