Tag Archive for "office design" - Küster Dental Weblog

Posts Tagged ‘office design’

Let’s Go Racing!

Posted on: May 24th, 2013 by admin No Comments

While we specialize in dental office design, occasionally we are asked by clients to provide design services that aren’t dental. This Spring we were honored to be invited by Coca-Cola to provide a face lift for their suite at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Since today kicks off Memorial Day weekend and the suite will be in full use, we thought it appropriate to share some photos of the end result.

IMS Main Straight Away

IMS Suite, Main Bar

Wishing all of our clients, vendors, and friends a Happy and Safe Holiday Weekend! Let’s go racing!

New Bar Stool

Coca-Cola Logo Wall

Reduce Anxiety by Going Green

Posted on: May 22nd, 2013 by admin No Comments

Beautiful living wall

One of the best ways to reduce anxiety in patients over trips to the dentist is to create a dental office that is warm, welcoming, and soothing environment. The dental office design should give off a more spa-like and less health clinic tone. Has anyone ever heard of someone experiencing anxiety over going to the day spa? We haven’t.

One great way to immediately create a soothing environment is with a living wall. People seem to respond well to plants. Pictures of favorite vacation spots almost always contain scenes of lush foliage, whether near a beach, lake, or stream. Adding a living wall to the design of the dental office waiting area will immediately bring a splash of lushness to the room and help create a space patients will enjoy. Living walls remove volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) from the air we breathe. Thus, they not only make rooms more attractive, they improve indoor air quality further supporting the health of you, your staff, and your patients.

There are many companies that can help with the design and installation of one’s living wall, but Naturaire and ELT both have some great pictures of projects they’ve worked on that should give you inspiration.

Underfoot

Posted on: May 21st, 2013 by admin No Comments

A few weeks back I was asked to write a guest blog post for Tish Flooring. I thought I’d share it here with my regular readers. Enjoy!

Underfoot

The alarm goes off and you hop out of bed. As you walk through across the bedroom, how often do you pay attention to what’s underfoot? Your morning trek to the bathroom can feel cushy and luxurious with the right pad.

A good pad is everything. While many might be tempted to skimp on the cost of the carpet pad, if given a choice between spending 50¢ more on your pad or the same on your carpet, spend it on the pad. A good pad can make even a cheap carpet feel amazing when you walk on it. Pair a good pad with a really good carpet and you’ll think you died and went to heaven. A client of mine recently held an open house to show off their new Master Suite remodel and every guest that came through could not stop talking about how amazing the carpet felt underfoot.

Having invested in new carpet and padding, you’ll want to keep it clean and looking good for years to come. The first thing is to avoid walking on it in your bare feet as much as possible. The oils from your skin will cause your carpet to look dirty faster than anything else, even your shoes. Keep a pair of slippers handy in the bedroom or wear your socks as much as possible when wandering about and your carpet will stay cleaner longer.

When it does come time to clean your carpet, use only a dry chemical cleaner. Other types of cleaning agents leave a film residue that attracts dirt and will cause your carpet to get dirty faster.

Lastly, you’ll want to make sure your carpet does not contribute to an unhealthy environment in your house. Look for the Greenguard^® label when shopping for carpet. This label indicates that your carpet choice will not contribute to poor indoor air quality by off-gassing harmful fumes from the dyes and adhesives used in its manufacturing.

Armed with these tips you should be able to pick a carpet that will feel wonderful when you walk on it and remain looking good, too, for years to come.

How Green is Your Roof?

Posted on: May 17th, 2013 by admin No Comments

A green roof with a lot of vibrancy!

Does your dental office have hair? Take a look at the green roof on this building. This is a bit more wild than any dental office or building that I’ve seen, but it definitely let’s people know that the owners are committed to a green roof. Green roofs provide many benefits to both the environment and their building owners.

They reduce heat reflection back into the atmosphere
They reduce both heating and cooling costs
They help mitigate rain runoff
They increase oxygen production
They provide a platform for recreation in the form of rooftop patios and gardens

Now, one is probably not going to put in a green roof unless planning a new building, as the increased infrastructure to support one isn’t readily added to an existing structure. However, if you are planning a new building for your next dental office, designing a green roof into the project can be a great benefit and addition.

Let’s Talk Quartz

Posted on: May 10th, 2013 by admin No Comments

Continuing our theme of countertops let’s explore another material choice. Today we want to examine quartz and why it makes a good choice for counters, especially in operatories, labs, and sterilization rooms. Quartz allows for virtually no liquid absorption reducing the likelihood infectious microbes can get a foothold and grow. The naturally hygienic surface promotes nosocomial infection control. The only material that is less absorbent is stainless steel. Consequently, quartz counters can readily be cleaned with disinfectants more successfully than more absorbent materials such as solid surface counters and laminates.

Why is quartz a green materials choice? It is almost entirely comprised of natural stone and contains little or no petroleum based resins. Unlike many laminates and some stone choices it producing no off-gassing, contributing no toxic VOC’s that lead to poor indoor air quality. The base slabs also require less energy consumption to produce than stainless steel. There are many quartz manufacturers in the world, but there is only one, Cambria, that is US based. By choosing Cambria quartz one can also reduce the environmental impact of choosing quartz by eliminating the need to transport the slabs from overseas.

So, when you’re looking to improve the look, functionality, hygiene, and maintenance of your dental office countertops, give strong consideration in investing in quartz. Yes, they aren’t inexpensive, but they will outlast many other choices making them a smart investment.

Is Your Dental Office Green?

Posted on: February 18th, 2013 by admin No Comments

Color of the Year 17-5641

Is your dental office green? While I normally write about being environmentally conscious in your business practices and dental office design, today I literally mean, “Are you green? Emerald to be exact.”

Pantone, the arbiters of all things color related, has named Emerald the 2013 color of the year. Specifically, they have named Pantone 17-5641 to this prestigious honor. The color is lively and radiant while wrapping a room in a lushness and comfort rarely found in other colors. A dental office reception area using Emerald will definitely project a sophistication, lushness, and harmony to patients that they will find welcoming and relaxing as they prepare for their health care visit.

So, as you plan your 2013 dental office design updates give some thought to emerald. It may just be the jewel you’ve been looking for.

Finding a Theme for Your Dental Practice

Posted on: February 13th, 2013 by admin No Comments

Does your dental office have a theme? Many offices do these days, and a theme can really help create a unique interior branding message for your practice. In designing an interior branding message for a dental office we tend to ask a lot of questions and find something unique amongst the doctor’s interests that the theme can be built around. For example, if the dentist really likes to fish, perhaps the interior design will be built around a fishing theme. If the practice focuses on pediatrics, then a kid friendly design is always appropriate.

Here is a set of chrome hunting trophies that help define a safari theme in one practice. Along with some faux leopard print fabrics and an earthy color palate, everyone that enters immediately identifies with being whisked away on a modern day safari.

Chrome trophies to create a safari theme in “The African Room”

Delivering a Grammy Winning Experience

Posted on: February 11th, 2013 by admin No Comments

What kind of experience does your dental office offer? Is it a quality, memorable experience that makes your patients want to tell all of their friends about you and your practice? Is the experience such that your patients wouldn’t ever think about cancelling their appointment unless there truly was no way they could keep it?

Last night’s Grammy performance was an excellent example of choosing quantity over quality. Isn’t the Grammys the biggest night for music every year? Isn’t it supposed to be all about the music? If so, then choosing a venue that is more about how many seats can be filled rather than good acoustics is a crime against the audience – depriving them of a truly memorable experience.

Now, one may say it doesn’t really matter over a television set what the venue acoustics are like, and I counter, “Have you ever watched ‘Glee?” The few episodes where the cast is singing in the performance theatre at NYADA the acoustics of the venue come across as some of the most amazing performances I’ve ever heard on television. Much better than the normal performances from the very same show.

I’ve never understood holding concerts in sports venues other than a pure drive to sell more tickets. The producers are not concerned about the quality of the production. Now, a large heavy metal production maybe it best suited for a sports stadium, but vocal group like Il Volo? Seriously? They should only play in intimate auditoriums with stunning acoustics.

A dental office needs to be just as focused on the quality of the experience as well as the quality of the health care. You and your team may provide the best dental care in the world, but if your patient can’t get past a run-down office, rude treatment by staff, or difficulties in making appointments, they really won’t remember or care. (BTW, I can’t begin to tell you how often I call offices to only get an answering machine. Seriously.) The Grammys would be well served to do the same.

Sundance – An Amazing Location for the First Green Dentistry Conference

Posted on: February 7th, 2013 by admin No Comments

I’ve just had an amazing 36 hours at the Sundance Resort where I was working with Ina and Olga from the EcoDentistry Association in planning the first ever, Green Dentistry Conference for 3-4 May 2013. This is one great conference that you’re not going to want to miss.

Beyond the fabulous line-up of world-class speakers and sessions you’ll have the opportunity to stay at an amazing resort where the accommodations, food, and amenities, and of course the scenery, is truly stunning. While we were drawn to Sundance for its emphasis on sustainable practices and eco-friendly mission, we were blown away by the friendliness of the staff and the truly world-class operation they have in an intimate, cozy environment. Every room has recycling bins. They have amazing glass blowers on-site, where in the summer one can take glass blowing classes, who only work with recycled glass from waste that is generated by the resort. The glass chargers that are used in the Tree Room, the resort’s fine dining restaurant, were all made on-site.

The new Robert Redford Conference Center is made almost exclusively from reclaimed lumber from across the U.S., including a barn beam from Chicago to serve as the center’s fireplace mantle. Many of the buildings use stained concrete flooring rather than tile or carpeting, which reduces energy consumption, is easy to maintain, and looks wonderful. One of the key principles of green design being use less.

Oh, and if for no other reason, come join us in May for the food. Locally sourced and truly amazing, you will not go away disappointed. I look forward to seeing you in May, but hurry. The conference is limited to only 100 attendees for this amazing event.

Wasted Roof Tops

Posted on: February 5th, 2013 by admin No Comments

Flying into Salt Lake City yesterday to help work on planning for the first Green Dentistry Conference at Sundance Resort the sun was shining and making the snow sparkle like it was scattered with thousands of tiny diamonds. It really was an amazing sight. I could not help noticing, however, all of the large, flat rooftops on commercial buildings, warehouses, and big box retail stores. There were dozens, if not hundreds of these buildings along our flight path and not one had anything other than conventional HVAC systems on them. In a place blessed with as much sun as Salt Lake City, why weren’t they all covered with solar panels? While putting up solar panels might not be able to take every one of these facilities off the grid, the combined effect of having so much acreage converting solar energy to electricity would definitely make a dent in the cumulative consumption of fossil fuels.

Additionally, it is mind-blowing how much acreage is consumed by parking lots. Yes, it would significantly increase the cost of putting in a parking lot to put a solar panel “roof” over each one, but there is so much otherwise wasted space that it is a shame not to take advantage of it. Plus, our cars would probably thank us to keep them protected from the UV rays of the sun. I hear talk about building large collection sites out away from cities and towns, but there is no need to develop additional land when we underutilize the land we already have developed.

Why would we want to make this investment in solar energy and what difference would putting solar panels on the roof of my dental office make anyway? Well, as we got closer to the ground, the pollution haze hanging over the city was amazing. From the ground one did not have a clear view of the mountains that ring the city because of trying to look through the haze. Our shuttle driver said Salt Lake just made the list of having some of the worst air quality in the U.S. If we, as health professionals aren’t taking the lead in working to improve the living conditions for everyone on the planet, who’s going to do it? Yes, designing one’s dental office to utilize green energy may make only a tiny drop in the big bucket, but it is a start.

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