In the world of medicine where leading-edge technology and science are key factors in services provided to patients, the opportunity arose to design the premises for an advanced dentistry practice - the Brighton Implant Clinic. The site is a brick Victorian building in Brighton, United Kingdom and is made up of a basement and four floors above ground. The practice is composed of a dental prosthetics lab where dentures and implants are fabricated on the same day as the patient is being treated, allowing the patient to leave the premises with a concluded treatment not having to return to the practice in the future. The practice also has a state-of-the-art CAT scan allowing three-dimensional imagery of the skull to assist surgeons in the placement of implants.
There is also sedation surgery, where full general anaesthesia can be provided for more complex procedures. The general reception and waiting area are on the ground floor and the upper floors are an additional four surgeries, an administration area, a staff room and a patient recovery and relaxation lounge.
From an architectural perspective, the space was designed taking into account the philosophy of advanced dentistry. We created a space that transmits confidence while moving away from references that associate the area with clinical atmospheres. While being discreet we also wanted the area to create memory in patients who visit the clinic. The sculptural effect of the steel blades twisted at different angles provides movement and rhythm with the brickwork as a backdrop giving character to the reception and visual impact to passers-by. Having gutted the whole interior of the building except the structure, the design combined a contemporary space while still allowing for the original features of the building to coexist.
