FEATURED PROJECT
Three-Story Hospital Atrium
Intermountain Primary Children’s Wasatch Canyons Behavioral Health
- Architect: HDR Seattle
- Client: Intermountain Children’s Health
- Location: Taylorsville, Utah
- Vertical: Healthcare
- Product: Ekoa in Bare
- Installation: Walls
- Scale: 1,400 SF
Impact
CO2 sequestered
equivalent annual carbon uptake
The design challenge
Intermountain Children’s Health tasked HDR with designing a lobby that would feel welcoming, safe, and healing for families in its behavioral health center. The brief emphasized human connection and comfort in a high-traffic, clinical environment, while staying within budget and working around tight stair-to-wall clearances.
When families enter the sunlit atrium, three-story walls immediately set the tone—balancing scale, warmth, and approachability. The challenge: bring natural warmth to the space without compromising durability or clearance requirements.
Material solution
Super-thin Ekoa sheets delivered the warmth and visible grain HDR envisioned—without the thickness or cost of wood. Perfect for high-traffic areas, the flax-based surface resists scratches, bumps, and scuffs and cleans easily, making it ideal for a busy healthcare environment.
Experience in the space
As sunlight moves across the atrium, the material subtly shifts in tone, creating a dynamic, inviting environment. Patients, families, and staff encounter a warm, approachable space that feels human-centered and engaging, not clinical.
Sustainability & healthy interiors
Ekoa’s super-low VOC, plant-based surface keeps indoor air quality high while avoiding off-gassing and chemical additives. Durable and carbon-sequestering, it supports long-term sustainability without compromising human health.
“We wanted a warm, wood-like backdrop for our lobby stairs but faced challenges with cost and limited space. Ekoa delivered the inviting look we wanted while fitting our site perfectly—its sustainability story was the icing on the cake.”
Installation & detailing
Thin aluminum trim separates each 48-inch sheet, protecting edges and echoing the mullions on the adjoining glass wall—small, intentional details that unify the space.
Thoughtful materials, clean detailing, and functional design combine to create a lobby that’s both welcoming and resilient—showing how Ekoa brings ambitious visions to life.
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