A look behind the scenes of the High Intensive Care AMC I Gispen

Amsterdam UMC High Intensive Care landscapem

The AMC is one of the locations of Amsterdam UMC. The building that houses the Psychiatry department is an integral part of the hospital, including a High Intensive Care unit and a closed psychiatric ward. The department had to be remodelled in order to accommodate a new working method. Bureau Bas produced the interior design and Gispen provided the new furnishings.

The Academic High Intensive Care Amsterdam is where patients are treated who need urgent psychiatric care. A team of nurses, psychiatrists, doctors, psychologists, social workers and therapists provide 24-hour care here. This was originally carried out in a ward with two isolation cells. A new ideology called for a different design and layout of the department. With matching furniture.

A NEW IDEOLOGY AND A MATCHING LAYOUT

Jasper Müller, project manager at AT Osborne and contracted by AMC to work on this project: "Where they previously used an isolation cell in the event of danger to staff or patients, the new approach is to offer one-to-one support to the respective patient. This is offered in separate rooms, which are called IC units. The isolation cells have therefore been converted into two IC units, one of which has an ESR (Extra Security Room). These new rooms give patients much more control. In addition, one of the offices was transformed into an open reception desk and the living rooms and comfort rooms were extensively renovated. Several rooms were joined together and rearranged to create an open and homely atmosphere."

Functional and homely

Bureau Bas designed the new layout of the department and presented a detailed plan for the required furniture and colour schemes. Gispen supplied the furniture for the reception area with reception desk, two living rooms, two comfort rooms and an IC unit. Sabine van den Berg, Gispen account manager: "The separate furniture items that we supplied had to meet specific requirements in order to be suitable for use within a closed psychiatric ward. The furniture had to be sturdy and not have any sharp edges, for example. At the same time, we wanted to give the living rooms and comfort rooms a homely atmosphere. Jasper adds: "Other important requirements included hygiene and infection prevention. The furniture had to be easy to clean and could not contain any felt."

A selection of the supplied products

Creafort round tables with white tops and wooden legs have been installed throughout the new department. These are accompanied by somewhat heavier Artifort Gap chairs, upholstered in Silverguard; a soft and supple artificial leather which has the look and feel of fabric. This adds to the warm ambience of the room and is also hygienic. The Gap chairs come in various colours. Moreover, Gispen Triennial Project chairs with cantilever frames are combined with Exsta solid oak dining room tables. These are well suited for intensive use and their backrests have also been upholstered with Sylverguard synthetic leather. Those who want to relax in one of the living rooms can do so on sofas by Exsta. In addition to tables, chairs and benches, Gispen also supplied the lighting.

To be continued

Jasper: "For me personally, this was both a beautiful and challenging project to work on; I have the utmost respect for the specialist care that is provided here. The complexity which is involved in renovating such a department is quite substantial. It is therefore great to be able to count on a partner such as Gispen. Sabine: "The next step is to take on the floor above, the office area. Gispen is going to give all the conference chairs a technical overhaul and provide them with new upholstery so that they will last for many years to come."

Photography by T.M. van Harn on behalf of Amsterdam UMC

black and white portrait of Sabine van den Berg

Sabine Gorter – Gispen account manager

A word from the specialist

“There were clear requirements when it comes to the furniture. We proposed alternatives where necessary. It was great to work with Jasper, the project manager. In close consultation we agreed upon a tight delivery schedule, but there was still plenty of time left to test out the products in advance. Making sure we knew that everything would be in the right place and everything would work as it should as soon as the patients would move into the new rooms.”

WE WANTED TO GIVE THIS SPECIALIST DEPARTMENT A HOMELY ATMOSPHERE. AT THE SAME TIME, HYGIENE AND INFECTION PREVENTION WERE ESSENTIAL; ALL THE FURNITURE HAD TO BE EASY TO CLEAN. AND BECAUSE SUCH A RENOVATION IS VERY COMPLEX, IT IS GREAT TO BE ABLE TO COUNT ON A PARTNER SUCH AS GISPEN.

Jasper Müller Project Manager at AMC, seconded from AT Osborne

PHOTO GALLERY

Amsterdam UMC High Intensive Care squarem

Amsterdam UMC High Intensive Care portraitm

Jasper Müller - Project Manager at AMC, seconded from AT Osborne

The client’s thoughts

"It was a great experience to work with Gispen. We were under some time pressure, but we never lost track of our main goal: all the furniture had to be in place well before the patients moved in. If the interior was not complete, it would cause too much commotion. It was for this reason that we made explicit agreements on how we would deal with any delays. In the end, the opening of the department was moved up due to the admission of psychiatric COVID-19 patients; Gispen still delivered everything perfectly on time!"