Glass partitioning solutions were tested on stretchers to make them user-friendly in the new extension of the North Karelia Central Hospital. 

- I set out to find glass partitioning solutions that do not require a separate rail installation in the floor. I went to the FP Products website, where I then found these almost frameless products, mainly aimed at offices. I contacted the FP Products Janne Tuokkola and inquired about the suitability of the products for hospital use. From there, things started to roll along nicely, comments the site engineer of the Siun sote J2 extension. Ani Parkkinen From Rakennustoimisto K. Tervo Oy.

In areas such as the joint emergency room control area and the intensive care and intensive care monitoring area, one of the guiding factors in the design was to ensure maximum visibility to patient areas. The design phase resulted in partly fixed and partly sliding glass wall and door solutions.

- Now that I can see the implementation on the ground, I can say that the solutions found are better than we could have imagined. The implementation supports the user's objective and will certainly have a positive impact on the smoothness and safety of care work," says the architect responsible for the architectural design of the project. Rami Kolehmainen Raami Architects Ltd.

In the J2 extension, the use of glass was desired because they did not want too fixed wall solutions, and curtains as space dividers did not seem to be the right choice either. However, glass partitioning solutions also raised doubts, particularly with regard to their durability. Under no circumstances was patient safety to be compromised.

- Together with the installers, we did test shots on the glass walls. We also carried out impact tests on stretchers. The tests clearly gave us a greater sense of security with these solutions, because that's how durable they are. In addition, the glass used in the products is safety glass, which, when broken, sticks to the laminating film," says the project's design coordinator Marko Turunen About Siun Sote's facility services.

In the Siun Sote J2 extension, the user perspective has been a guiding factor in the design solutions. In user meetings, different views have been planned and reconciled together and the best possible alternative for the hospital's users and customers has been sought. For example, the size of the doors could be influenced during the design phase. Small details make a big difference in practice.

- In the worst case, the space cannot be used to the extent it was designed to be used. For example, if the door is turned in the wrong direction, it could mean that an XL-size bed cannot fit in the space. Fixing such problems afterwards is a difficult process and always more expensive. Through user-centred design, we have tried to find such challenges early on. However, these solutions are ultimately accepted by the users, and it is with them in mind that we have come up with these products," Turunen concludes.