In today’s economic space, it’s no secret that we all have to do more with less. This is a challenge in any area of business, but for designers and architects who are charged with creating the look, flow, and brand for an orthodontic practice, the challenge can sometimes be amplified.
Orthodontic Products recently spoke with a handful of industry designers and architects who shared their most recent projects, demonstrating how to make it all come together.
—-
Practice Name: North Coast Orthodontics (Brian J. Schabel, DDS, MS, and Vivian H. Chan, DDS, MS)
Practice Location: Capitola, Calif
Square Footage: First floor: 3,885; second floor: 2,000
Designed by: Green Curve Studio Inc
Project Time Frame: 3 months design; 4 months construction
The curvilinear soffit breaks up a boxy space and reflects the natural curves of the nearby ocean.
What the Doctor Wanted: The office is located less than 1 mile from the beach, so the doctors wanted to incorporate a curvilinear design that reflected the natural shape of the ocean shore. They also wanted a circular flow to minimize walking distance for staff and patients.
Design Inspirations: We worked to capture the feel of being at the beach, but not create a themed design. We also wanted to capture the essence of the redwood forest, which is just a few miles from the office.
The full-view windows along the front of the building flooded the space with natural light.
Design Challenges and Resolutions: Construction costs in the Bay Area typically are 50% to 100% more than average, so our goal was to create a brand experience within a limited budget. To do this, our team utilized much of what was already in place. The redwood ceiling was part of the former bank structure, which helped connect the brand to the redwood forest. What’s more, the full-view windows along the front of the building flooded the space with natural light. One could imagine they are at the beach while in the exam chair.
Favorite Feature: The curvilinear soffit breaks up a boxy space and reflects the natural curves of the ocean shore. This feature functions as the key branding element in the space.
To keep costs down, the design team utilized the redwood ceiling that was used when the structure served as a bank.
