Contract - October 2013 - (Page 54)

HealtHcare By Brian Libby Photography by Lincoln Barbour At Seattle Kids Dentistry, color, natural light, and an open plan transform pediatric oral care Although it is located in a former warehouse where workers fabricated tiles made from porcelain—the same material used in most fillings— Seattle Kids Dentistry is not the usual banal chamber of root canals and dated magazines. Colorful, open, high-tech, and filled with natural light, the design of the space exemplifies the clinic’s mission to make a trip to the dentist an experience for kids that is free of fear. Located just off Puget Sound at the western edge of Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood, the project marks a second collaboration between co-founder Dr. Kristi Linsenmayer and Jessica Helgerson (see interview, page 96) and her Portland, Oregon-based firm Jessica Helgerson Interior Design (JHID). Linsenmayer had previously opened a small pediatric dental clinic in Ketchikan, Alaska, and hired Helgerson—based on her portfolio of design that blends color and natural materials—to design its interior. “I’ve been in practice for 20 years, and I’m happy being in my comfort zone—that comes with good design,” says Linsenmayer, who divides her time between the Alaska and Seattle clinics; the latter she co-founded with Dr. Purva Merchant. The design of both clinics includes open spaces full of natural light, which has had a calming effect on young patients. “It’s pretty amazing,” Linsenmayer adds. “I have many special needs kids and the natural light seems to work well.” In their previous practices, Seattle Kids Dentistry’s founders “both had that feeling that every dental office looks, feels, and smells the same,” Merchant explains. “Of course, it is a medical practice, but the first thought when you walk in shouldn’t be, ‘Oh no, it’s the dentist.’” The designer’s first charge was to make children feel comfortable, starting with views outside, as well as of other kids who are undergoing treatment. “The building had really good bones and was a blank canvas,” says Helgerson. “It was just a long, simple rectangle with a band of nice, big, steel-sash windows.” textures revealed and applied are works of art Individual treatment rooms were scrapped in favor of a long row of open dental chairs. “We needed an open plan to encourage kids to watch other kids and promote behavior modeling. There are high high 54 contractdesign.com OctOber 2013 http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - October 2013

Contract - October 2013
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Columnist: Winning Work at the Interview: It’s All About Chemistry—Part II
Product Focus: New Classics
Product Briefs: Health and Wellness
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion
Banaji Pediatric Dental Specialists
Seattle Kids Dentistry
Healthcare Environment Awards
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre at Austin Hospital
Seattle Children’s Building Hope: Cancer, Critical and Emergency Care Expansion
Dale & Frances Hughes Cancer Center
Kent Campus Expansion, Phase 2 Pavilion
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Camp Southern Ground
Poetic Living
FOUND: An Adolescent and Young Adult Cultural and Wellness Center
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Healthcare Design
Book Review: Sustainable Healthcare Architecture, Second Edition
Designers Select: Healthcare
Sources
Ad Index
Perspectives

Contract - October 2013