When interior materials are chosen by strict performance criteria, the products themselves are often thought to limit design opportunities. This is a truism frequently applied to medical facility design. A case study is presented to demonstrate how a particular methodology, based upon a materials research approach, was used to set criteria and choose interior materials for a renal services center. The approach was a pragmatic one. Interior materials were selected, tested, and evaluated based upon the expertise of both medical staff and designers. This process strengthened, rather than restricted, the three–dimensional design of a functional and appropriate treatment setting.
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