“When finishing projects, flooring is one of the last items installed,” says Curtis Wilson, AIA, design manager, OU Medical Center. “Because of that, installation and cure time become significant factors in the overall project.” For this and other reasons, the medical center chose nora® flooring, along with nora® dryfix adhesive, to outfit the newly renovated spaces. “Using nora dryfix adhesive essentially allowed immediate use of our heavily trafficked clinical areas, such as the ICU,” says Wilson.
OU Medical Center worked to bring patients the latest technologies and comforts with large-scale renovations to their facility’s Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Labs, as well as the Neurosciences and Transplant ICU. By selecting nora flooring, along with nora dryfix adhesive, OU Medical Center was able to fast track construction and minimize the impact on areas that typically operate 24/7.
“Previous to nora, we used a mix of VCT and rolled vinyl in the areas we renovated,” says Curtis Wilson, AIA, design manager, OU Medical Center. “The hope was that the ease of care and durability of nora will help the overall facility long-term. So far, the team has been very pleased with the decision.” When it came to critical project timelines, dryfix saved the hospital precious time and allowed quick access to spaces where it was installed.
In both the Cath Lab and ICU areas, the hospital placed patient comfort front and center. The flooring’s ability to absorb unwanted noise and provide a calm, quiet environment conducive to healing proved to be a critical factor in the decision to use nora. In addition to the acoustical properties, the medical center liked the floor’s long-term durability and low-maintenance requirements. The flooring needed to deliver on long-term durability, standing up to the demanding environment of foot traffic, heavy rolling loads and hybrid operatory rooms designed to be quickly converted into open-heart surgery suites when needed. Also, because they are busy health care spaces, ease of cleaning was a consideration, and nora provides for that.