Acrovyn by Design® took a deep-sea dive into Sunny Hill Children’s Hospital

Sunny Hill Health Centre at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, BC, Canada, is dedicated to providing “specialized developmental assessments and rehabilitation services for children, youth and their families.” Sunny Hill was undergoing a renovation and was looking for various interior product solutions that would bring nature indoors, creating a serene, inviting setting. Each wing depicts different seasons, each wall a different outdoor environment, from ocean to forest.

Sunny Hill chose Acrovyn by Design (AbD) wall protection for their new Teck Acute Care Centre. The hospital envisioned one of the areas to be marine-themed but with a bit of twist. To help distract and ease the anxiety of patients and their families while they wait to receive medical attention, the walls now provide them with a unique interactive experience – not commonly something you would expect.

Construction Specialties (CS) worked with two graphic design companies to create motion-activated moving images that project graphics onto the AbD. The hospital set up two main interactive experiences - a Virtual Aquarium with three separate marine environments that were installed in the new Emergency Department (ED) waiting room. Patients can interact, move, and learn with the playful digital projections, giving them the opportunity to play games and follow the journeys of marine biologists. The other ocean animated display can be found going down the hallway from the ER corridor. This wall is for viewing pleasure mainly, with different types of aquatic animals moving about like sea turtles and whales swimming and dolphins leaping above the waves.

The main goal of incorporating these digital wall adventures into this section of the hospital was to help create a calm, healing atmosphere with innovative materials that can withstand frequent use. The positive distraction alleviates some of the fear of being in those healthcare surroundings while also providing a platform to explore and discover exciting aspects about the ocean.

 CS’ Acrovyn by Design, known for its longevity, relentless dirt resistance, and customization abilities, was the perfect product solution for this project. By embedding vivid, high resolution images behind impact-resistant sheet material, we were able to help transform this space into an encapsulated ocean wonderland. In addition to the 60 Acrovyn by Design sheets, CS corner guards, handrails, and Acrovyn by Design door cladding have been installed around the hospital.

By partnering with Sunny Hill Hospital’s design team along with the other graphic design companies, we were able to turn this virtual deep-sea idea into a beautiful reality.

“Sunny Hill has demonstrated real success in maintaining a community environment for children and families and the care providers for many, many years. This new space with the beautiful art and the incredible facilities is going to continue that, and really support these children and families to continue to grow and to get better.”

– Sarah Bell, Chief Operating Officer at BC Children’s Hospital & Sunny Hill Health Centre