I. Project Background
The Chiang Mai Mental Health Center in Thailand is a renowned mental health treatment and rehabilitation institution in Southeast Asia, dedicated to providing comprehensive healing services for patients with anxiety disorders, depression, and other mental illnesses. In 2025, the center initiated the construction of a new campus, aiming to create “the first immersive healing space in Southeast Asia”. Considering the high sensitivity of mental patients to their environment, the project team set strict requirements for the floor materials: they need to integrate Eastern aesthetic concepts with modern psychological research findings, and through multi-dimensional design of materials, colors, and textures, create a “calm, natural, and stress-free” healing environment. Inner Mongolia Luju Plastic Products Co., Ltd. stood out from 12 global bidding companies with its innovative solution of the “Spirit Series” plastic flooring and became the exclusive floor supplier for this project.
II. Project Requirements
Healing Function
– Adopt the traditional Thai “Forest Therapy” concept, simulate the tropical rainforest environment through floor texture and color to help patients relieve anxiety.
– The surface touch should be close to natural materials (such as wood and stone) to reduce the coldness of artificial materials.
– No glare and no irritating smell to avoid causing sensory discomfort to patients.
Safety Performance
– The anti-slip grade should comply with ISO 13036-4:2018 standard (wet anti-slip coefficient ≥ 0.45).
– The cushioning performance should meet EN 14041:2013 standard, with impact force absorption ≥ 20J upon falling.
– Antibacterial rate ≥ 99.9%, meeting the hygiene requirements in tropical humid climates.
Cultural Adaptability
– The color system should incorporate traditional Thai color schemes (such as temple white, bodhi tree green, and monk orange).
– The pattern design should avoid religious taboo symbols, reflecting inclusiveness and a sense of healing.
Construction and Sustainability
– The installation of 10,000 square meters should be completed within 45 days, while simultaneously meeting the requirements of the Thai Green Building Certification (TREES).
– The recyclable material ratio should be ≥ 70%, and the life cycle carbon footprint should be reduced by 60% compared to traditional floor tiles.
III. Solutions
(1) Product Customization: “Natural Healing” Theme Plastic Flooring
Luju Company, in combination with Thai culture and psychological needs, has developed a 5.0mm thick “Zen Realm” series plastic flooring for the project. The core design features are as follows:
Bionic Texture System
Rainforest Walkway Series (for public corridors): Replicating the surface texture of the tropical rainforests in Thailand, this series features varying shades of moss green and rotting wood brown patterns, combined with a 3D embossed texture, creating an immersive experience of “walking in the jungle”. Tests have shown that it can reduce patients’ heart rate by an average of 4 beats per minute.
Temple Stone Steps Series (for meditation rooms): Mimicking the ancient stone steps of Doi Suthep Temple in Chiang Mai, this series uses warm gray tones and a matte surface, with a rough texture like natural stone, helping patients focus and calm their emotions.
(II) Construction and Services
Culturally Sensitive Construction
The construction team receives Thai etiquette training in advance. When laying in the temple-style area, a “silent operation mode” (noise ≤ 50dB) is adopted to avoid disturbing patients’ meditation activities.
Cooperate with the traditional Thai “groundbreaking blessing ceremony”, inviting local monks to chant sutras and bless the materials and construction site to ensure the project complies with cultural customs.
Green Construction Plan
Materials are certified by the Thai TREES Platinum level and the EU CE, with VOC emissions of 0.008mg/m³, which is better than the Thai industrial standard (0.05mg/m³).
Localized Service Network
A service center is set up in Bangkok, providing a Thai language service hotline, and a commitment is made to respond to maintenance needs within 4 hours.
Training courses on “Floor Energy Therapy” are offered to center staff, explaining the psychological application principles of color and texture to assist in enhancing the healing effect.
IV. Project Outcomes
(1) Verification of Therapeutic Effects
Psychological Data Improvement: Six months after the project’s implementation, a third-party survey showed that:
The average score of the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) for patients decreased by 19 points (a reduction of 24%);
The positive evaluation of the “healing sense” of the environment reached 92%, which was 57% higher than that of traditional wards.
Safety Performance Compliance: After being tested by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI), the floor’s anti-slip, buffering, and antibacterial indicators all met the requirements higher than those stipulated in the contract. Since the opening of the hospital area, no slip accidents have occurred.
(2) Customer Reviews
The chief therapist of the center, Dr. Chaya, said: “Luoju’s floor is not only a building material, but also an important part of our healing system. Patients often tell me that when walking barefoot on the ‘Rainforest Path’, they feel ‘back in nature’. This connection with the environment has an irreplaceable value for psychological rehabilitation.”