The building materials specified for aged and healthcare projects can impact everything from acoustics right through to sustainability and resilience outcomes.

National Architectural Manager at Siniat Australia, Nazli Almasirad and Head of Carbon and Circularity with Perspektiv Australia, Patrick Jeannerat combine their expertise to share more on the latest material trends.

“Embodied carbon in construction materials is becoming a strong emerging focus area,” Head of Carbon and Circularity with Perspektiv Australia, Patrick Jeannerat says.

He says previously the focus was on energy efficiency but as we see electricity decarbonise over time, “the next low-hanging fruit is reducing the carbon embodied in building materials”.

There is also a focus on minimising the resource depletion when manufacturing these materials. “We have a finite world so the idea is that we try and create materials that can be reused over time and that are highly recyclable at the end-of-life”.

Manufacturer and distributor of plasterboard and metal wall and ceiling systems, Siniat, have been a leader in reducing the embodied carbon of their products. Siniat was the first manufacturer of plasterboard and metal systems in Australia to offer carbon-neutral Climate Active certified products under the Opt2Act opt-in carbon neutral program.

“In the new design principles for aged care facilities, there is a strong focus on sustainability,” National Architectural Manager at Siniat Australia, Nazli Almasirad says.

“The guidelines encourage environmentally conscious design, so we will expect to see more integration of green spaces, natural light and of course the use of sustainable materials. All in all these elements are going to contribute to residents' wellbeing, their quality of life and the longevity of the building,” she says.

She says manufacturers need to be environmentally responsible and focus on helping customers meet their sustainability goals. Siniat has clear roadmaps to local and global sustainability targets, backed by the Etex Road to Sustainability 2030 Siniat is one of Etex’s flagship commercial brands.

As we experience more natural disasters and harsher climates due to climate change, Siniat is focusing on materials that meet design trends, and sustainability and resilience targets.

“It’s clear we cannot continue to design and build the way that we have always done. There is an increased focus on design elements such as airtightness, weathertightness, and using more resilient products,” Nazli comments.

“For instance, we are the supplier of Weather Defence, an air barrier board most commonly used in ventilated facades. Weather Defence is highly vapour permeable, allowing internal water vapour to escape from the structure into the façade cavity rather than building up as condensation that can cause a wide range of problems. Such strategies can help improve the longevity of the facade”.

Nazli explains that when specifying materials for aged and healthcare facilities it’s essential to have occupant comfort at front of mind. Key considerations include improving the indoor air quality, thermal comfort and acoustic comfort.

“These are not tangible measures and not visual either, and therefore often overlooked, but it’s very important to design with these factors in mind as they play a big role in the wellness of the occupants”.

Nazli says since the 1960s level of noise in hospitals has increased by 15 decibels.

“If you create a calm and quiet environment, it helps to reduce stress levels for patients as well as the people working in that environment. Acoustic comfort enhances the healing process and sleep quality.”

“Acoustic comfort should be considered in every stage of the design of healthcare and aged care facilities. Specifications should include sound absorbing products inside the building, improved insulation and increasing the density of the materials we use to block excess noise”.

Listen to the full podcast here.

This podcast is brought to you in association with Siniat, proud sponsor of Talking Architecture & Design Podcast Aged Care Series.