Dulux Trade’s Dawn Scott and Andrew Cleaver, in conversation with Architecture Today’s Technical Editor John Ramshaw, discusses how evidence-based colour methods and high-performance paint systems can support health and wellbeing,
inclusivity and long-term performance throughout healthcare projects. In association with Health care environments are among the most demanding structure types designers are asked to deliver. In addition to pleasing complex technical and regulative requirements, clinical areas need to support wellbeing, help navigation, stand up to intensive cleaning programs, and develop environments that feel calm and reassuring for clients, visitors and personnel alike. Colour and covering systems play a critical function in
health care efficiency and experience, with well-chosen schemes not only assisting to minimize anxiety, improve wayfinding and support accessibility, but likewise adding to health standards, lowered maintenance cycles, and long-term functional effectiveness. Dulux Trade’s Dawn Scott(Elder Colour Designer)Andrew Cleaver(National Sector Supervisor, Healthcare), in conversation with Architecture Today’s Technical Editor John Ramshaw, explores how colour and paint specification can assist form effective and resistant healthcare environments, making use of assistance from the Dulux Trade Healthcare Sector Guide. Healthcare jobs put unique demands on designers and specifiers. How can colour and paint specification add to both patient wellbeing and building performance?Dawn Scott Health care environments need to stabilize scientific performance with human experience. Colour can help produce areas that feel calmer, more welcoming and less intimidating, supporting patient wellness while also improving the experience of staff and visitors. Thoughtful colour schemes can assist wayfinding, specify different functions and add to a higher sense of peace of mind throughout a healthcare journey. From a requirements viewpoint, long lasting, easy-to-clean finishings are essential in high-traffic environments where health, upkeep and durability are important. The most effective healthcare jobs combine technical performance with environments that support comfort, dignity and self-confidence. What prompted the advancement of the Dulux Trade Health Care Sector Guide, and how can designers and specifiers utilize it throughout the design process?Dawn Scott The Healthcare Sector Guide was established to help architects and specifiers navigate the complex requirements of modern-day health care environments. These projects require solutions that support client wellbeing, staff performance, infection control, ease of access and long-lasting possession efficiency. The guide unites colour method, technical spec assistance, colour contrast principles and curated combinations appropriate for different health care settings. It can be utilized throughout the design procedure, from early idea advancement through to detailed specification, assisting job teams make informed choices that stabilize operational requirements with the development of encouraging, inclusive environments. Healthcare buildings accommodate a vast array of
users and functions. How need to colour methods differ across areas such as reception areas, wards, consultation rooms and paediatric units?Dawn Scott Different health care spaces serve different emotional and practical needs, so colour strategies should react accordingly. Reception and waiting areas often benefit from inviting, assuring palettes that help in reducing stress and anxiety upon arrival. In wards and inpatient settings, calmer tones can support rest, healing and convenience. Assessment spaces need to feel professional yet approachable, assisting foster trust and open interaction. Paediatric environments might incorporate more uplifting colours and spirited accents, while preventing overstimulation. The key is to create appropriate levels of visual interest and contrast while preserving consistency across the wider structure, guaranteeing clients and visitors can browse areas with confidence. How can colour and contrast be utilized to produce more inclusive health care environments, especially for patients with visual disabilities, cognitive conditions or neurodivergent needs?Dawn Scott Colour and contrast play a crucial role in making healthcare environments much easier to understand and browse. Clear visual distinction between walls, floorings, doors and key functions can help patients identify routes, entrances and locations more confidently. For people with visual problems, cognitive conditions or neurodivergent requirements, environments that are visually readable and predictable can lower tension and assistance independence. It is similarly essential to avoid unnecessary visual clutter or overly intricate palette. Inclusive health care style is about utilizing colour actively to enhance clarity, comfort and functionality for the widest possible series of users. What function does Light Reflectance Value (LRV)play in supporting accessibility, safety and wayfinding in healthcare settings?Dawn Scott Light Reflectance Value(LRV)offers an objective method of measuring colour contrast in between nearby surfaces. In healthcare environments, proper contrast assists clients, visitors and staff distinguish between important aspects, such as walls, doors, hand rails and floors. Assistance, such as Approved File M and BS 8300, suggests a minimum 30-point LRV difference between important surface areas to support accessibility. Efficient usage of LRV can improve wayfinding, reduce the danger of slips, journeys and collisions, and help develop environments that are simpler to comprehend. It is an easy however effective tool for delivering both compliance and much better user experiences. When developing paint requirements for healthcare buildings, what technical and functional elements must designers prioritise to make sure long-term performance?Andrew Cleaver Health care environments place remarkable needs on interior finishes, so architects need to prioritise finishes that support infection control, durability and ease of upkeep. Antimicrobial performance is particularly essential, with items such as Dulux Trade Sterishield Double Active, Sterishield Diamond Matt and Sterishield Diamond Eggshell assisting to support infection prevention methods through resistance to microbial development. Similarly crucial is cleanability. Surface areas must can standing up to regular cleansing utilizing strong disinfectants, including chlorine-based products, alcohol-based cleaners and hydrogen peroxide vapour, without jeopardizing their look or performance. High scrub-resistance and long-term resilience are for that reason important factors to consider in health care settings. Healthcare spaces are subject to requiring cleansing programs and rigorous compliance requirements. How can the ideal requirements aid extend upkeep cycles while supporting hygiene and infection control?Andrew Cleaver A well-considered paint specification can considerably 
extend upkeep cycles while supporting health and infection control objectives. Products such as Dulux Trade Scuffshield Matt, Diamond Matt, Diamond Eggshell, Diamond Satinwood and Quick Dry Gloss are designed to hold up against extensive cleansing routines without deterioration, helping surfaces preserve their appearance and performance for longer. These resilient finishes likewise assist develop smooth, hygienic surfaces that resist contamination, while lowering damage from daily operational usage. As a result, upkeep can be performed more efficiently and with minimal disturbance to health care services. Eventually, the right specification transforms paint from a decorative surface into a long-term performance system, supporting infection control, decreasing lifecycle expenses and enhancing operational durability. How do standards such as HBN 00-10 impact paint and finish spec within NHS and health care projects?Andrew Cleaver HBN 00-10 has a considerable impact on paint and finishing requirements due to the fact that it requires surfaces to be sanitary, cleanable, durable and proper to the scientific danger related to various health care environments. Products such as Dulux Trade Sterishield Double Active, Sterishield Diamond Matt, Sterishield Diamond Eggshell, Scuffshield Matt, Diamond Matt, Diamond Eggshell, Diamond Satinwood and Quick Dry Gloss have been established to satisfy the demands of these environments by offering long lasting, quickly kept surfaces that support infection control and hold up against extensive cleansing regimes. HBN 00-10 also motivates a whole-life performance method, making sure that specs consider long-term maintenance, functional performance and client safety rather than just focusing on initial cost. In practice, this suggests paint becomes an important structure component instead of a decorative afterthought. Sustainability and indoor ecological quality are increasingly essential in healthcare design. How are paint technologies developing to support lower VOCs, functional efficiency and wider ecological targets?Andrew Cleaver Paint innovations are progressing in step with health care’s growing emphasis on 
sustainability, indoor ecological quality and functional effectiveness. Significantly, specification is moving beyond standard ornamental surfaces towards high-performance, low-impact systems that support both building performance and resident wellbeing. Products such as Dulux Trade Sterishield Double Active, Sterishield Diamond Matt, Sterishield Diamond Eggshell, Scuffshield Matt, Diamond Matt, Diamond Eggshell, Diamond Satinwood and Quick Dry Gloss kind part of this technique, integrating resilience and long upkeep cycles with low-VOC, water-based solutions. These coatings assist enhance indoor air quality, which is especially essential for vulnerable clients, while allowing redecoration with very little disruption in occupied health care environments. They can also contribute towards sustainability objectives and support compliance with evaluation structures such as BREEAM, WELL and LEED, helping doctor balance ecological performance with operational resilience. How does Dulux Trade support designers dealing with health care projects, from early-stage colour method through to technical requirements and delivery, and what crucial suggestions would you provide specifiers?Dawn Scott Dulux Trade supports health care projects through a mix of colour know-how, technical requirements assistance, digital tools and on-site
item understanding. We deal with designers and specifiers from the earliest style stages, helping develop colour strategies that support wellness, ease of access and functional requirements. This is matched by assistance on colour contrast, LRV compliance, product performance and long-term upkeep factors to consider. Our advice to specifiers would be to think beyond compliance alone. The most effective healthcare environments think about not only how a space performs technically, however also how it feels for the clients, visitors and staff who utilize it every day. Contact Information Click here to download the Dulux Trade Healthcare Sector Guide.Click here to access the Dulux Trade Paint Requirements Hub.For more info about defining colour and paint on health care tasks, please call 0333 222 70 70, e-mail or check out the Dulux Trade website.