For a doctor’s office in Southern Germany, new lighting fixtures contribute to the calming ambiance for patients.
[dropcap style=”letter” size=”52″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]O[/dropcap]hen people make an appointment with a medical specialist, it’s understandable they might feel apprehensive. For his new office in Eislingen, Germany, Dr. Oliver Bernas wanted to put his patients at ease by offering a visually appealing, comfortable atmosphere.
To evoke a relaxed and positive environment, Bernas – who specializes in internal and palliative medicine – requested a pleasant, fresh approach to the interior design with spacious rooms in discreet colors and harmonious illumination. To provide the ideal fixtures, lighting manufacturer SATTLER was contacted by the Eislingen-based architectural firm of Scheer und Wahl.
Getting the lighting right was critical, as it fulfills various functions in a medical practice. According to the team at SATTLER, “[Lighting’s] subtle influence on our feelings is often underestimated. An agreeable lighting atmosphere can ease patients’ anxiety, soothe trepidation, and often creates confidence. Furthermore, ergonomic light is a pre-requisite for concentration and helps to make work less tiring.”
The Göppingen, Germany-based manufacturer was established as an electrical installation business in the late 1950s by Hans Sattler and has since evolved over his family’s second and third generations to become an internationally renowned production company. SATTLER is currently managed by Ulrich Sattler and his son, Sven, who note that processes such as powder-coating, polishing, metalworking, and assembling are done by hand in the factory.
In order to guarantee consistently high lighting quality and efficient production for all of its luminaires, SATTLER develops its own LED boards in-house that harmonize with its products. “These LED boards are the centerpiece of our products. The LED technology used enables us to design energy-saving luminaires with a high lighting quality in different light colors. The exact fit into the aluminum housing of our luminaires ensures life spans of well over 50,000 hours due to the high cooling capacities,” explain members of the SATTLER team. “Should the specified maximum thermal values be exceeded, then our boards react with a self-protection mechanism without reducing the light power perceivable to the human eye. Our boards are also protected in case of an electrical surge or reverse polarity.”
For Dr. Bernas’ office, the illumination in each room was carefully evaluated. The fresh and bright waiting area features a generously proportioned SLIM LED circular luminaire which emits soft illumination that complements the overall positive appearance of the practice.
The reception desk area – which requires both direct and indirect light – was outfitted with two Avveni pendant luminaires in combination with recessed lights from the Avveni series for an aesthetically integrated design. Indirect light in the form of invisible, straight, or bent LED light tracks accentuates the reception area’s architecture and generates glare-free lighting that also functions as a guidance system in the corridor. The flexible Avveni downlights swivel and tilt to provide guided and focused light where needed while unobtrusively nestling into the acoustic ceiling.
In the treatment rooms, wide-area lighting is supplied by individually controllable LED lights that fulfill the necessary requirements for medical needs while creating a non-glare lighting ambiance that is pleasant for the patients. For the adjacent doctor’s consultation area, a slim Doppio Linea pendant luminaire emits discreet direct/indirect lighting above the desk and creates a more comfortable environment for private conversations between the doctor and his patients.
As the modern design and indirect lighting specified for Dr. Bernas’ office demonstrate, today’s medical facilities worldwide are making a concentrated effort to place more emphasis on patient comfort when implementing the aesthetics.
