WOOD for HEALTH
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | White Arkitekter AB |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 479 115 |
| Project duration | January 2022 - August 2025 |
| Status | Ongoing |
Important results from the project
Wood for Health has developed and tested environmentally friendly surface treatments for interior wood in healthcare buildings. The results are promising, yet there is still a way to go before the new products are ready for the market. The project has collected international examples of outstanding healthcare architecture with interior wood, which are presented in a publication together with reports on the research and the industry partners´ current experiences of product development.
Expected long term effects
Wood has many properties that contribute to well-being in the built environment and the use of interior wood in healthcare environments has been shown to have a positive impact on both patients and their relatives as well as staff. The long-term effects of the project and its product development are expected to be a continued increased interest to use in wood in hospitals and other indoor environments with high requirements on hygiene.
Approach and implementation
The project was based on a logical structure in well-defined work packages with associated responsibilities. Staffing problems at an international partner delayed the tests for some time, but cooperation has been good. The collection of international examples has gone well, but to also create guidelines at European level for wood in healthcare interiors turned out to be a poorly thought-out ambition. Instead, we can conclude that conditions differ at national, regional and local levels.