The Kerlic Medical Centre in Quimper, in western Brittany, is a modern facility designed to offer the best possible healthcare provision for patients, thanks to its team of around fifty medical practitioners and auxiliary staff.

Created as an extension to its partner hospital – the Clinique Mutualiste de Bretagne Occidentale – and medical imaging centre on the same site, this €9-million building project measures almost 4,000 m² and is spread over three levels in line with the project owner’s specifications. The three facilities are linked by walkways which guide patients through the site, from their consultation at the medical centre, to their examinations at the imaging centre, and finally surgery at the hospital should they need it. Together, they form the Kerlic Health Cluster, the second largest private hospital cluster in Brittany.

Safety, comfort and hygiene were of paramount importance in this project, and so the project team opted to use Couvraneuf floor products due to their proven track record and wide range of product options. A number of different products were used for the project, but in this case study, we focus on the GTP-50 HD expansion joint cover and how it has helped create a safe, sanitary and comfortable environment for staff and patients alike.

The project owner, HGO (Hospi Grand Ouest), entrusted the architectural design for the project to AIA Life Designers. Their brief was to create a design that takes care of medical staff and patients alike, combining practicality with hotel standards of comfort.

During the build, the GTP-50 HD joint covers were supplied and installed by local company Sols de Cornouaille. The product itself is a double-strip co-extruded thermoplastic joint cover with an aluminium centre plate, which is designed to lie flush with the floor and provide a superior level of protection. It is also extremely flexible, meaning it compensates for any movement in the flooring as it expands (e.g. due to temperature changes).

The architecture firm specifically requested the use of GTP-50 HD joint covers in the project specifications because of their excellent structural properties, which help prevent cracks and balance out any settlement differences across the different sections of a large building, and also their durable finish. Since the GTP-50 HD lies flush with the floor, it is also easy to move trolleys and gurneys smoothly over the joins without jolting, which makes this product an ideal choice for the Kerlic Medical Centre in achieving the high comfort standards required by the project owner, HGO. Moreover, the product’s waterproof design protects joints against the infiltration of cleaning water and abrasion from the highly concentrated chemical products needed to maintain strict floor hygiene standards in healthcare settings.

Completed in August 2022, the new medical centre building completes the facilities already in place since the end of June at the adjoining hospital and medical imaging centre.