We have had numerous installations both ways. In general, the manufactured modular headwalls are not as “interior design friendly” as the major manufacturers have not yet mastered the art of concealment in a way that does not scream “There are MED GASES back here!!!” However, those same manufacturers do have a total understanding of the building interface requirements to the unit itself, since they typically also manufacture the headwall med gas unit also, so the coordination and installation can be more trouble free.
Contrarily, custom millwork designed by the design team on a project, can be attractive, subtle, interesting and completely convince even the most savvy user that it is purely a feature of the interior design. But unless the general contractor, millwork sub-contractor and med gas headwall vendor at TOTALLY on the same page with coordination of the unit, this solution can be an expensive disaster.
I think you just have to analyze all of the circumstances and make an educated decision from there. We have had successful installations both ways, they are just definitely different animals.
Also, we have observed installations where the users were not consulted on the configuration of the headwall and that was a problem. Many times, headwall med gas vendors do things “their way” and the delivery methods are changing, so you should be aware of that as well.
Good Luck no matter what you decide.
Jennifer Nichols Kennedy, LEED AP, AAHID
partner+interior designer
