Refurbishment profi le
for EK practice Making a great entrance
Enhancing fi rst impressions for Avondale Dental Practice
S
ince their refur- bishment, staff at Avondale Dental Practice have got used to patients
walking in and thinking they have got the wrong building. When they finally realise
that they have the right place, the general reaction is one of astonishment, such is the trans- formation of the entrance and reception area. When Mairi Maclean took
over the practice ıı years ago it hadn’t been properly renovated since the ı970s and the seven surgeries meant that space was at a premium. One of the fi rst things Mairi did was to convert the practice from seven down to three surgeries and refur- bish. However, even at that time it was clear that the entrance area was a major weakness. When patients walked in
the door they were met with a narrow corridor with no natural light. A hatch on the right hand side signalled the reception and patients had to double back to fi nd the waiting room, that consisted of a large front room. Mairi along with her husband
and practice manager Donny Black, knew they wanted to change the layout and get rid of the hatch. They contacted Farahbod and Homan at NV Design and Construction and tasked them with reinvigor- ating the practice. Mairi said: “When Farahbod
came on board it really opened up options that we never really expected. It is amazing to think of how much space we were wasting before this.” The design that Mairi and
Donny settled on involved a complete restructuring and re-ordering of the downstairs accommodation. Walls were knocked down in the recep- tion and offi ce areas, creating an open plan space that would become the waiting room and reception. Natural light that was blocked out by the parti- tion and reception hatch, now fl ows into the waiting room and the offi ce spaces are situated behind glass panelling at the rear of reception. The old waiting room is now
a large downstairs surgery, with the old small surgery at the rear of the building turned into two separate spaces, a disabled
toilet and OPG room adjacent. The designs have managed to maximise space and fi nd innovative storage solutions in easily accessible but unobtru- sive locations. Despite the scale of the work
involved, NV and its contrac- tors ensured that the practice was only closed for two weeks. After the initial phase of work, the practice was able to use an alternative entrance and operate their two upstairs surgeries. NV were on site for a further
six weeks fi nishing up, with Mairi explaining that the contractors bent over back- wards to work around the staff and, most importantly, the patients. She said: “The were very accommodating to both staff and patients and nothing was too much trouble. They were always on time and we
“We knew it was good, but to get praise from people who know their stuff is really reassuring”
After
have even had patients who are in the building trade compli- menting us on the standard of the work. We knew it was good, but to get praise from people who know their stuff is really reassuring.”
As well as the aesthetic elements of the new prac- tice, Mairi explained that the building is now greener thanks to better insulation and a new central heating system. Summing up their experience, Mairi said: “The difference between then and now is night and day. The entrance is now bright, modern and very welcoming.
“So much so that some of our
nervous patients have said that it doesn’t feel like a dental prac- tice, it is more friendly and puts them at ease.”
Scottish Dental magazine 73
The new waiting room and reception area
Before
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