Aviv Clinic's Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Chambers

Located in The Villages, Florida, Aviv Clinics offers a treatment program centered on hyperbaric oxygen therapy that improves cognitive and physiological abilities for adults. The Aviv Medical Program was developed based on over a decade of research and development under the leadership of Dr. Shai Efrati, Chair of Aviv Clinics' Scientific and Medical Advisory Board. The heart of the Aviv Clinics treatment is carried out in oxygen suites that have been carefully designed by Studio Gad. 

 

Studio Gad infuses its visionary approach to hospitality and restaurant design into a cutting-edge medical and health facility that gives a new definition of what it means to change the experience of the aging process. Prior to the Aviv Clinic's construction, Studio Gad conducted a comprehensive study that led to the creation of an original design language adopting experiential values from the world of private aviation and a futuristic vision of medicine. The chamber's sensory elements and design schemes are inspired by a first-class flight to create an exclusive experience during hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments.

 

The shell of each hyperbaric chamber is rendered in radial and rounded shapes that emanate calming lights to soften the overall experience. The corners of each capsule shell were created with a 3D printing technology that results in a nearly seamless structure, such as that of an airplane. Each capsule is coated in a shade of reflective white, while the interior lighting system of the shell is subject to hue changes within the RGB color model. Studio Gad references the anamorphic colors of reptiles and how skin shades can change according to the climate and life-stage as an inspiration for this feature. The result is a hydrodynamic structure that captures the essence of the past and future of medicine and transportation, boasting a smooth, non-angular nose-shape from the steamliner period that merges with a model of a futuristic spacecraft.

Within each capsule interior, Studio Gad has embedded its signature "MODERN JET STYLING" design concept, an original visual language inspired by physical pieces of modern airplanes.

 

The textiles and the stitching technique from the chamber's partition provide patients with the necessary separation to create personal space within the therapeutic treatment. The partition shape is designed to create a buffer within the body of the structure while being able to observe and make eye contact with other patients as a sense of comfort and security. The capsule's lighting grids and virtual windows permeate curated spectrums of light throughout the day, sharpening the perception of a window opening and feeling of infinite space outside. The light that washes the organic forms changes its intensity and shades during the treatment and gives the user a feeling of space and openness. The outer shells of each chamber are intended specifically to spark a human emotion that feels more like entering a comforting space.

 

"It is our privilege to partner with Aviv Clinics and develop a new architectural language that can elevate the world of physical and cognitive performance and enhance the aging process," said Gad Halperin, Founder, Studio Gad. "We believe that our design work and sensitivities to patients will be a bastion of how design can enhance the medical world in the post-pandemic age."

 

Aviv Clinics will open new locations around the world to improve the aging process, and offers a three-month medical program based on an in-depth diagnosis: a cognitive and physiological training program and personal nutritional coaching that accompanies the unique protocol of HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment). The first clinic, a state-of-the-art, 30,000 square-foot facility in Florida, opened in June 2020, while a second clinic will open in Dubai during the first quarter of 2021.

 

The hyperbaric therapy systems used in the AVIV therapies were designed exclusively for us by Fink Engineering, designer and fabricator of the world’s first rectangular hyperbaric chambers.  This innovative idea has transformed the world of hyperbaric medicine, taking the client out of the “tank” experience of the old cylindrical or semi-cylindrical chambers and putting them in a luxurious room with familiar flat walls and ceiling.

Fink Engineering worked closely with AVIV in realizing the interior design of the hyperbaric suites, translating the design language of Gad Studios and the requirements of the medical team into materials and methods needed to comply with the stringent requirements of the National Fire Protection Agency code for Healthcare Facilities, which includes a chapter specifically for hyperbaric chambers due to the added safety issues of Oxygen Enriched Atmospheres (OEA environments) and the limitations in egress due to the pressure differential existing between the suite and the exterior.  In addition, the integration of the hyperbaric equipment into the facility and providing interior spaces for a myriad of interconnecting pipe and cables while maintaining the client experience presented issues which were resolved between Fink and GAD studios.

These devices include several “firsts”.  
A) Each client seat in the suites have a personal screen for each client which is used during the therapy sessions to exercise and client’s cognitive capability and capacity.  These screens are equipped with individual noise-cancelling headsets, further eliminating distractions during the cognitive exercises and improving the benefit of the therapy.

B) The lighting system is completely new to the hyperbaric industry, providing a softer, more relaxing environment while still being bright enough.  The only direct lighting sources in the suites are the reading lights for each client.

C) The Air Conditioning for the AVIV suites is also a unique system, it actually has a seat-heating functionand an aircraft-style ventilation blower so the client feels comfortable even as the pressure variations change the interior temperature, which typically rises a few degrees during pressurization and cools a bit during the depressurization.  While not excessive and lasting less than 10 minutes, these temperature changes might have caused some of our clients discomfort, so Fink Engineering and AVIV came up with a new design.

D) The Fink Engineering hyperbaric suites are extremely quiet, with average sound levels lower than a typical office environment.  Sound Pressure levels of 60~65 dB (A) leave the client relaxed.

E) Air compressor redundancy:  Where two compressors may have complied with the codes, we elected to have three, any two of which can supply the needs of the chambers, so even in the case of failure of one unit, operations continue without pause and there is no safety concern whatsoever.  The entire compressor, air-dryer, filtration systems and air storage tanks are tripled rather than just doubled.

F) The exterior of the hyperbaric suites have been surrounded with an exceptionally striking architectural concept imagined by GAD Studios.  Smooth rounded shapes cleverly backlit with programmable reflected lighting entice the client’s attention, providing wayfinding function while denying the clinically industrial look of a hospital ward and masking the sheer physicality of a 60+-ton machine.