M. Bufalini Hospital in Cesena. Through an innovative technology, the floors sanitize the spaces

Built in 1962, the M. Bufalini Hospital in Cesena required a major refurbishment. The project conducted by arch. Andrea Gozzoli, of the U.O. Planning and building development of the AUSL of Romagna, focused primarily on improving the comfort of the patients. Actually, nowadays, the hospital facilities for inpatients provide a comfort close to that of the hotel facilities, a standard of 2 beds with a separate toilet with accessibility features for disabled people, advanced finishes for quality and comfort

Iris Ceramica Group with its technology, Active Clean Air & Antibacterial Ceramic™ has played an important role in the redevelopment of interiors thanks to the provision of floor and wall coverings in four ordinary hospital wings. The floor and wall coverings used are part of the French Wood collection produced using Active Clean Air & Antibacterial Ceramic™ technology patented by Iris Ceramica Group and have been selected on the basis of both their aesthetic qualities and the sanitising properties of the spaces and above all thanks to their fundamental antibacterial and anti-pollutant properties

The Iris Ceramica slabs with Active Clean Air & Antibacterial Ceramic™ French Wood technology have been chosen because they have the effect of natural wood in planks measuring 120x20 cm and in three valuable variants. In fact, the flooring chosen offers alongside the strength peculiarities of porcelain stoneware, the pleasant image of natural wood, with recognisable knots and veins that also evoke a certain wear and tear over time, evoking a history, a spatial identity

The peculiarity of this material is as mentioned above, its antibacterial property. The results of tests carried out by the Department of Chemistry of the University of Milan on ceramic slabs made with this technology actually demonstrate a permanent and effective indoor anti-pollution action, with the elimination of particles present in the air, including NOx, but above all an antibacterial efficacy capable of eliminating all types of bacteria from treated surfaces, from the most common to those resistant to antibiotics. Finally, besides these advantages, there is the self-cleaning property that makes it possible to clean ceramic surfaces in an easier and less expensive way, by simply using water and avoiding chemical detergents that are often toxic or polluting

A really interesting project, which has totally distorted the perception of the hospital rooms and corridors; the floors (composed in accordance with the polychromatic architectural scheme of the project) making the environment pleasant to the eyes as well as comfortable and safe for the patients