Innovation-Driven Healthcare Interiors

Sutter Health Innovation Center

Architect: Martinkovic Milford Architects
Client: Sutter Health
Vertical: Healthcare
Location: San Francisco, California

Product: Ekoa in Essential
Installation: Walls, cabinets, tables, desks, kiosks, & millwork
Scale: 3,152 SF

Impact

CO2 sequestered

equivalent annual carbon uptake

The design challenge

Sutter Health set out to create an innovation hub designed to explore and evaluate what the future of healthcare could look like—bringing together clinicians, partners, and technology leaders to collaborate, simulate real-world care environments, and develop new solutions that will help patients receive safer, more coordinated and personalized care. Martinkovic Milford Architects translated this vision into a cohesive physical space, using design to support flexibility, focus, and seamless interaction across a range of uses.

The challenge was balancing performance and durability with a unified visual language that could extend across walls, integrated furniture, and millwork—creating a clean, modern environment defined by cohesive materials and a consistent, intentional design expression.

Material solution

Ekoa in Essential provided a cohesive, design-forward surface that could move effortlessly across walls, work surfaces, and custom millwork elements. Its subtle, natural grain brings depth without overpowering the space, supporting a calm, focused environment.

Engineered for durability, Ekoa withstands the demands of a high-use innovation setting—resisting scratches, impacts, and daily wear—while offering a streamlined alternative to traditional wood or laminate systems.

Experience in the space

The result is a refined, unified environment where every surface feels intentional. From workstations to kiosks, the continuity of material creates visual clarity and reinforces a sense of order and innovation.

The Essential colorway introduces a grounded, modern tone—supporting concentration and collaboration while softening the clinical edge often associated with healthcare interiors.

Sustainability & healthy interiors

Made from rapidly renewable flax fibers and plant-based resins, Ekoa supports healthier indoor environments with ultra-low VOC emissions and Red List Free and Clean Air GOLD certifications—helping maintain high indoor air quality in spaces designed for collaboration and innovation. Its carbon-sequestering properties align with Sutter Health’s broader sustainability goals while delivering long-term performance.

This balance of material health, environmental responsibility, and durability makes it well-suited for spaces designed to evolve alongside new ideas and technologies.

Installation & detailing

Across 3,152 square feet, Ekoa was integrated into a wide range of applications—from vertical panels to horizontal work surfaces—demonstrating its versatility in custom millwork.

Clean edges, precise fabrication, and consistent material application ensure a seamless transition between elements, reinforcing the architectural intent and elevating the overall execution.

Outcome & impact

Used across key moments in the Sutter Health Innovation Center, Ekoa creates a quiet material thread that connects distinct areas and programmatic vignettes. Applied to walls, furniture, and millwork, it brings continuity without uniformity—supporting clarity across a space designed to flex, test, and evolve.

The result is a refined interior language built on restraint and performance, where sustainable, high-performance materials support a space that feels intentional, adaptable, and distinctly human-centered.