Designer Laura Guido Clark, whose clientele includes the likes o…
Designer Laura Guido Clark, whose clientele includes the likes of Apple and Mattel, turned to historic handwork and crafting techniques such as block printing and crochet when she created the five patterns in the
Freehand collection for
Pallas Textiles. Shown clockwise from top are
Stamped Out,
Laced Up,
Criss Crossing,
Block Party, and
Hooked.
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KnollTextiles
KnollTextiles design director Dorothy Cosonas found inspiration …
KnollTextiles design director Dorothy Cosonas found inspiration in a Chanel jacket when she designed
Sinclair, one pattern in
KnollTextiles’s
Pavilion collection. The collection also includes two other solution-dyed, performance upholstery fabrics,
Noble and
Baxter, and two privacy curtain polyester fabrics,
Decobeat and
Sidestep. All fabrics in the Pavilion collection are Greenguard certified. Shown from top to bottom are Noble, Sidestep, Decobeat, Sinclair, and Baxter.
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Momentum Textiles
More healthcare designers are trying to put into practice the id…
More healthcare designers are trying to put into practice the ideas behind biophilia, human beings’ innate affinity to nature.
Momentum Textiles attempts to do so with
Botanica, a collection of four durable, bleach-cleanable fabric types, which include
Naked Nylon 2 (NN2), a recycled nylon upholstery;
Silica Tech, a PVC-free silicone and polyester upholstery fabric;
Dayspell, a collection of upholstery textiles made from post-consumer recycled polyester and solution-dyed nylon; and
Fluent, a privacy curtain made from recycled, fire-resistant polyester fibers. Shown left to right are Silica Tech, Trove (in the NN2 collection), Silica (predecessor to Silica Tech), and Banter (in the NN2 collection).
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Jason Ware Imagery / Courtesy Maharam
Maharam recently introduced several upholstery and curtain fabri…
Maharam recently introduced several upholstery and curtain fabrics suitable for use in healthcare.
Abacus (top) recalls the simple beauty of the forerunner to the modern-day calculator in pre- and post-consumer recycled polyester, which can be cleaned with a water-based cleaner.
Tread (bottom left) is a polyurethane fabric with a silane-based antimicrobial. Meanwhile,
Carry (bottom right) is a privacy curtain textile that combines an array of colors in vertical stripes that create a subtle gradient without the shock value of a sugary children’s cereal.
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CF Stinson
Michael Graves’s penchant for travel and exploration began dur…
Michael Graves’s penchant for travel and exploration began during his post-graduate years at the American Academy in Rome, where he immersed himself in the Italian city’s culture, art, and architecture. His career has since taken him around the world on journeys that served as the inspiration for
Voyages, a collection of healthcare seating fabrics that he designed for
CF Stinson. The collection comprises six durable, cleanable, and printed polyurethane textiles featuring subtle to vivid patterns and a faux leather look. Shown from left to right are
Auberge,
Entrada, and Auberge.
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Bretano Fabrics
Founded in 1990 with a modest collection of eight patterns,
Bre…
Founded in 1990 with a modest collection of eight patterns,
Brentano Fabrics has grown into an internationally represented textile house. As part of its fall 2012
Gallery collection, Brentano is launching
Mythos (bottom) and
Perspective (top). Made with 100 percent post-consumer recycled polyester, Mythos is a woven fabric finished with GreenShield—an eco-friendly, stain-resistant coating—and is suitable for use on seatbacks. Perspective is a bleach-cleanable, polyurethane upholstery and panel fabric offered in a palette of nine colors inspired by M.C. Escher. It is suitable for bench backs as well as lounge chairs.
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Dated furniture and a palette of sappy pastels can rank alongside tasteless food and double-loaded corridors as grievances that add insult to injury during a hospital visit. Healthcare architecture’s recent emphasis on patient-centered design and sustainable design have opened facilities to more natural light and interior finishes that are hospitable, high quality, and environmentally sensitive. In general, healthcare fabrics must be durable, cleanable, antimicrobial, and flame retardant. However, these rigorous performance requirements do not always necessitate a compromise in aesthetics or comfort. Six manufacturers showcase their newly launched upholstery and curtain fabrics that try to do it all.
Wanda Lau, LEED AP, is the former executive editor of ARCHITECT magazine. Along with 10 years of experience in architecture, engineering, and construction management, she holds a B.S. in civil engineering from Michigan State University, an S.M. in building technology from MIT, and an M.A. in journalism from Syracuse University's Newhouse School. Her work appears in several journals, books, and magazines, including Men's Health, ASID Icon, and University Business. Follow her on Twitter.
