The white tones contribute to a serene feel and also fulfil another of the client's requirements to bring a sense of spaciousness to the modestly sized 140m² interior.
The layout consists of a reception area that looks through to the four treatment bays, all occupying the same open-plan space. Across the open corridor from the treatment bays, through glass walls, are ancillary storage and sterilization rooms. The other two spaces are a small office the only completely private area and a consultation room. This room also has a glass wall so the practitioner can look through to her clinical staff and their patients.
The open-plan design, along with the use of transparent walls, means the entire space, apart from the office, is visually open.
"This adds to the feeling of roominess and also literally frees up floor space that might have been consumed by solid interior walls and closed corridors," says the architect. "The design also allows light to flood from the exterior glazing right through to the reception desk. The openness and light combine to enhance a reassuring feel for patients."
A relaxing ambience was central to the clinic's design and is addressed in another way, too. The minute people enter the reception areas they encounter layered colourful ceiling panels, which create a playful, lively, but not cartoonish, feel.
"In a subtle way, these colour panels also direct the flow of the space," says Charalambous. "A blue panel curves over the reception area, while another flows overhead above the waiting area between the two lies the path to the treatment bays."
Many visitors to the practice are children, so small stools are dotted around the reception and treatment bays to allow either a child or a parent to perch on them. In the reception area there is also a low-set bench and drawing materials.
At the heart of the practice lies the treatment bays. While together in one space, they are visually separated by more cloud-like overhead panels. These forms are echoed by blue panel inlays in the rubber flooring. Equipment tables are on wheels, allowing for speedy access to orthodontic tools.
An ergonomic layout ensures treatment times are minimised, but patient serenity is paramount.
"The views, on a clear or cloudy day, are spectacular and the layout, right down to the direction of treatment chairs, maximises this," he says. "Space, light and splashes of colour make older patients feel as relaxed as the younger ones. The design gives new meaning to the phrase open wide'."
Credit list
Architect
Forma Design (Washington DC). Design team Andreas Charalambous, AIA, IIDA, Laurence Koehrsen
Mechanical and electrical engineer
Allen & Shariff
Tiling
Keystones floor tile
Ceiling
Grid-USG; Donn Fineline; Tile-USG; Olympia Micro Clima Plus
Solid surfacing
DuPont Corian
D Gilmore, Lighting Design
Johnsonite Roundel rubber tile
Graphic design
Glass Film graphics by Forma Design
23 Jun, 2006