Zippsafe: Hello Ms. Karsten, thank you very much for taking your time. I'm very excited about the exchange. Shall we start with your educational background and professional focus so that our readers have an idea of who you are?

Galina Karsten: I am a graduate engineer in medical technology with many years of experience in specialist planning and project management.

Zippsafe: What role do you play in the planning process for buildings, especially in the healthcare sector?

Galina Karsten: Currently, I support clients in the planning and equipping of facilities in the healthcare sector.

Zippsafe: This is also how our contact came about, which makes us very happy. How did you actually become aware of Zippsafe?

Galina Karsten: In the planning process, there are some occasions where special solutions have to be found or innovative ideas are needed. It was through such research that I came across Zippsafe. Specifically, it was about possible process optimization in the locker room next to the operating rooms of one of our customers. There, the staff changes from street clothes to green surgical clothing via an adjacent personnel lock. At the same time, it should be possible to change from civilian to white professional clothing in the locker room whenever staff is spontaneously called to the ward. Unfortunately, the planned locker room area and the defined room geometry were not optimal for the customer to separate the processes hygienically in addition to equipping them with conventional lockers. Therefore, I was looking for a "special solution" to optimize the space and found a video article on the web about the use of Zippsafe systems in the Winterthur Cantonal Hospital at the beginning of 2020.

Zippsafe: Zippsafe offers the following four advantages: Space-saving, digitalization, hygiene, and user-friendliness. Which one has the highest priority for you?

Galina Karsten: In the case described above, for me as a consultant, it was about saving space. All four factors are highly relevant for healthcare facilities as well as their employees.

Zippsafe: Let's move on to the process of spatial planning for locker rooms - how does this work in detail?

Galina Karsten: Here, a fundamental distinction must be made between whether the project is new construction or a remodeling/renovation project. In new projects, planning is based on the room book and the operating concept. The situation of the locker rooms is already described there. You will find information about the central locker room, the decentralized locker rooms, the number of people, as well as information about whether the lockers are to be personalized or used flexibly. Various legal regulations and standards provide specifications on the minimum area per person, passage width, or similar. Thus, the space requirements of the locker rooms are defined. Based on this, architects develop the first draft, which again is specified in further project phases and optimized if necessary. In renovation projects, the starting point is usually an existing situation and an existing space. There is little room for maneuver here and the primary focus is on space-efficient use of the locker room, locker renewal, or improvement of the room climate.

Zippsafe: What priority do locker rooms have in the planning process? Do you think they are given too little attention?

Galina Karsten: It is important to look at locker rooms in detail early in the project. Usually, the planning of patient rooms or rooms used for medical purposes is prioritized. It is difficult to find the perfect solution for requirements. A compromise has to be made, unfortunately to the disadvantage of the adjoining rooms and locker rooms. If the room geometry is unfavorable, the initially planned wide lockers are changed to Z-shaped lockers or an impersonal solution to the disadvantage of the employees. If architects opt for the Zippsafe solution very early in the process, extensive space and thus costs could be saved.

Zippsafe: The keyword Z-locker is a good transition to the next question. How is the final decision made as to which type of locker is used in a locker room?

Galina Karsten: Here, too, a distinction is made between new construction and renovation projects. In a new building, the locker type is chosen based on the available space as well as the geometry of the room. The quality of execution then depends on the available budget. In case of a renovation project and a limited budget, existing lockers are usually used and supplemented with new lockers. Often, the same type of locker is chosen to generate a uniform image.

Zippsafe: And what about topics such as locking technology or accessories such as benches or ventilation in the locker rooms?

Galina Karsten: Ideally, the locking technology should fit into the global concept of access control. Here I also see a clear advantage of Zippsafe, because the solution can be integrated into the existing access system. Accessories such as benches or mirrors are often secondary. The issue of room ventilation is weighted differently in different projects. Since it is known that people spend only a short time in the locker rooms, this sometimes takes a back seat.

Zippsafe: You seem to be convinced of our product and its advantages. Nevertheless, do you see any difficulties in using Zippsafe in hospital locker rooms?

Galina Karsten: I see the biggest difficulty in changing people's minds. For many, Zippsafe is a previously unknown product and the advantages are not immediately obvious. It takes time to accept new ideas. That is why the pilot tests that Zippsafe offers are quite useful. Thus, the system can be used on a small scale and tested on all sides. I can well imagine that with the growth of Zippsafe in the market, testing will become less frequent. It is then more likely that orders are done on a larger scale.

Zippsafe: That would also be our wish. Are our Zippsafe systems currently planned for one of your projects?

Galina Karsten: We are currently investigating whether Zippsafe can be used in a hospital in Luxembourg. Here, a test phase with Zippsafe in the employee locker room of a hospital is being considered.

Zippsafe: We are convinced that the test phase will be successful and that we will be able to implement our first major project in Luxembourg. Thank you very much, Mrs. Karsten, for the trust and the exciting exchange!