Beyond Standard Stainless: Designing Elevator Cabs that Heal in Healthcare Facilities
For hospitals and medical office buildings undergoing renovation or new construction, the elevator cab is often an afterthought – a functional necessity relegated to uninspired, off-the-shelf solutions.
Elevator companies frequently present a limited palette: standard plastic laminate and stainless steel.
The result?
A space that feels sterile in the wrong way, lacking the warmth, identity, and critical functionality demanded by the healthcare environment. The core challenge is clear: creating an elevated, healing-focused space within the tight confines of an elevator cab, while also meeting stringent operational and hygienic demands.
The answer lies in early collaboration and specialized expertise. Partnering with designers who understand both the aesthetic aspirations and the unique practicalities of healthcare elevators is paramount. These specialists bridge the gap between your vision for a bright, airy, and customized space and the technical realities imposed by elevator mechanics, infection control, and heavy use.
Unlocking Customization Without Compromise
There’s no longer any need to limit elevator cabs to bland finishes. Imagine one that reflects your hospital’s brand with a subtly etched logo, or a children’s hospital elevator bursting with vibrant, comforting colors. This level of customization is achievable. Crucially, expert partners work hand-in-hand with you early in the project to ensure these design dreams become reality without creating new problems.
They meticulously manage the weight of custom materials to stay within the elevator manufacturer’s strict allowances.
They ensure selections contribute to healthier indoor environments, specifying materials that are low-emitting, potentially incorporate recycled content, and are certified for safety.
Most importantly in healthcare, they prioritize materials that resist harboring germs and are easy to clean effectively.
Materials Built for the Healthcare Grind
Not all finishes can withstand the unique demands of a hospital elevator. Here’s where specialized materials shine:
- Solid Surface (e.g., Corian): This is a healthcare design powerhouse. Beyond its extensive color range allowing for significant customization (logos can even be edged into it!), Corian offers crucial benefits. Its near-nonporous surface is inherently antimicrobial, minimizing the risk of contamination becoming embedded and posing a long-term health hazard. It’s also relatively lightweight, maximizing design potential without overburdening the elevator system. Design flexibility is vast: it can be backlit, finished with beveled edges, and seamlessly combined with metal accents like stainless steel or bronze.
- Engineered Composites (e.g., Avant by CS Systems): When extreme durability meets the need for visual appeal, products like Avant excel. This lightweight yet incredibly tough material is built for high-traffic environments, from bustling downtown hospitals to energetic children’s wings. It readily accepts patterns and custom designs, injecting personality and vibrancy into the cab without sacrificing longevity.
- Customized Stainless Steel: Move beyond the standard brushed finish. Stainless steel remains a top choice for its inherent durability and cleanability. Customization elevates it: PVD colorization offers a sophisticated palette, etching allows for elegant branding (like your hospital logo), and metal stamping creates unique, vandal-resistant patterns that far outlast standard elevator finishes, especially crucial in high-use or urban settings.
Protection Where It Matters Most
Healthcare elevators endure constant impacts from gurneys, crash carts, wheelchairs, and heavy equipment. Beautiful panels won’t stay beautiful long without robust protection. This is non-negotiable. Custom-designed bumper rails and handrails are essential. These aren’t just functional; they can be tailored:
- Specifically sized to offer maximum protection without reducing usable cab space.
- Powder-coated in a wide array of colors – think calming blues and greens for patient areas or bright primary colors for pediatric wings.
- Featuring custom standoffs for a distinct look.
- Standardized across all elevators in a building or campus for consistency and ease of maintenance.
Lighting with Patient Comfort in Mind
Lighting is another important consideration in elevator cabs for healthcare. Standard overhead lights can be harsh and problematic, especially for patients lying flat on a gurney, where bright lights shine directly into their eyes.
- Perimeter Lighting is Key: The optimal solution is perimeter or cove lighting. This bathes the cab in even, diffuse illumination, eliminating glare and discomfort for patients in any position – seated, standing, or supine. It creates a brighter, more welcoming space without causing distress.
- Island Ceiling Solutions: This approach often pairs well with perimeter lighting. An island element in the ceiling (made from powder-coated metal, solid surface, or even budget-friendly custom-colored laminate) provides a focal point while the perimeter lights do the heavy lifting of ambient illumination.
- A High-Impact, Budget-Friendly Upgrade: Even if a full cab renovation isn’t feasible, upgrading to perimeter LED lighting is a transformative step. It immediately makes the space feel cleaner, brighter, and more patient-centered.
Bringing Your Vision Safely to Life
Designing exceptional healthcare elevator interiors requires navigating weight limits, material certifications, infection control protocols, and the relentless demands of medical traffic.
Success hinges on partnering with experts like ours at Eklund’s who speak the language of both design and elevator engineering. Our team collaborates directly with major elevator manufacturers and your architectural or ownership team to ensure your vision for a brighter, more customized, and truly healing elevator experience is realized safely, sustainably, and built to last from day one through years of service.
Don’t settle for the standard stainless-steel box – your patients, staff, and visitors deserve an elevator experience that uplifts and reassures.