Creating comfort through design: The finishes behind Auckland Radiology Group’s patient-centred clinic
Specialist healthcare architects Klein drew on Remuera’s volcanic palette and natural light to design a healthcare interior that counters anxiety with intuitive spatial flows and environments that feels warm and familiar.
Using natural colours, refined lighting and uncluttered detailing, Klein has created a welcoming alternative to conventional radiology. “ARG asked us to design an environment that would reduce anxiety and feel calm, welcoming and intuitive, while maintaining high clinical standards,” says Klein’s Senior Spatial Designer Neesha Morar.
“Finishes needed to be warm and natural to enhance the underlying design philosophy – welcoming, minimalist, biophilic – while also providing consistency and durability through the purpose-built facility.”
Across Laminex’s integrated Formica® and Melteca® collections, the designers had access to coordinated finishes needed for a healthcare interior where ambience mattered as much as hygiene.
A coherent finishes palette from public spaces to private spaces
For Neesha and her team, the colour, tone and texture of the finishes were essential, both for the aesthetics of the space and to soften the clinical nature of diagnostic imaging, creating a more friendly and familiar experience for patients.
“We were inspired by Remuera’s ridgeline light and local volcanic landscape tones, so the palette layers warm whites, timber-look, basalt grey, acoustic fabrics, brass and subtle colour shifts to aid wayfinding and ease visitor anxiety.”
Laminex surfaces feature throughout the design, with a timber décor grounding the interior with its warm, natural colour and texture. Consistent décor availability across the Laminex range simplifies material selection and enables a cohesive design language to be carried throughout the project.
Aged Ash in both high pressure laminate and low pressure laminate underpins the scheme, while contrasting colours and accents add depth. Cabinetry and joinery are finished in Melteca Aged Ash Puregrain, bringing warmth and natural character to the interior, while Winter Sky Pearl introduces a soft grey-blue tone that contributes to a calm, restorative environment.
The palette continues through Formica Laminate Winter Sky benchtops and splashbacks, providing a durable, easy-clean surface for high-use areas. Formica Laminate Aged Ash is used on cabinetry toe kicks, offering added protection while maintaining the timber aesthetic through the detailing. Brushed Brass kickplates to reception counters introduce a contrasting metallic accent, adding warmth and highlighting the deeper tones within the palette.
To carry the timber character beyond the clinical spaces, the designers have also used Melteca Aged Ash to line non-clinical corridors and Formica Aged Ash for doors.
“Finishes were selected for durability, hygiene and safety while maintaining a refined, uncluttered atmosphere,” says Neesha. “Also from Laminex, is Seratone® AQUA Polar White Ripple lining the bathrooms. Everything tied together, and the extensive colours and finishes available meant we could specify within a single range to achieve precise palette consistency across every finish type.”
Specified for performance, supply and value
Klein has designed the Remuera clinic on a hub-and-spoke planning model, with carefully choreographed patient journeys that move people through the facility simply and easily.
“The arrival sequence was equally important,” says Neesha, “with generous waiting areas for patients and whānau/family, balancing engagement with a reassuring first impression. One of the main features is a beautiful, curved desk in Formica Aged Ash, to soften people’s initial experience. After that, smaller waiting bays and private change spaces were designed to support dignity, comfort and control.”
And while the patient experience drove the design, Klein also paid close attention to the practical requirements of the construction period. “We needed products with a reliable supply chain and that would fit with our budget. Melteca is made in New Zealand, it’s a well-resolved product, and the technical support and price point made it easy to specify with confidence.”
The result is a healthcare environment that feels markedly different from a traditional radiology clinic. By combining intuitive planning with a warm, consistent finishes palette, Klein has created a space that supports patient wellbeing at every stage of the journey – proving that thoughtful material selection can play a powerful role in reducing anxiety and fostering comfort.
PROJECT CREDITS
Architect: Klein
Writer: Folio
Photography: Hamish Melville
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