Design Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Clinics By Design

Time to Upgrade!

So the time has come for an upgrade to your existing clinic, or you have made the decision to build a brand new practice. Congratulations!

This is an extremely exciting time, but before we get caught up in what colour the floors are going to be or the style of visitor chairs you want in your waiting room (which don’t get me wrong, are equally as important) you need to make sure you are getting the right general practice clinic design done by a medical professional in order to make sure that not only are you getting the perfect practice to suit you, your staff and patients, now and in the future, but a general practice clinic design that meets all current codes and standards in order to pass a final inspection.

Some important things that need to be discussed during the design process in order to ensure your clinic is going to meet all codes and standards are:

Body Protection

Simply put, body protection means that every power point in your practice is protected by a safety switch therefore protecting patients if they need to be treated with equipment that is plugged into the wall.

These safety switches are particularly sensitive to earth leakage currants, a lot more sensitive than those in a residential or office setting, therefore protecting you, your staff and your patients from any chance of an electrical shock while treatment is taking place.

The main thing to take from this is not all existing tenancies are body protected, especially older buildings or buildings that were previously used for a purpose other than medical. This is something that needs to be checked when moving into or purchasing a tenancy and needs to be upgraded when any electrical works take place.

DDA compliance

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) states:

‘Where a physical feature (for example, one arising from the design or construction of a building or the approach or access to premises) makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled persons to make use of such a service, it is the duty of the provider of that service to take such steps as it is reasonable, in all the circumstances of the case, for him to have to take in order to :- Remove the feature, Alter it so that is no longer has that effect, Provide a reasonable means of avoiding the feature; or, Provide reasonable alternative method of making the service in question available to disabled persons’

Essentially everything needs to be accessible to every disabled patient, visitor or staff member visiting your practice. This is why it is extremely important that you appoint a Fitout company or builder that has the relevant medical experience when going ahead with your general practice clinic design.

There are many things that need to be thought out when designing your floor plan, from the amount of amenities required to the size of the rooms, in order to comply with DDA standards. All of these things need to be taken into consideration and designed correctly from the beginning to reduce the risk of expensive changes occurring once construction or refurbishment has commenced.

Social distancing

2020 has brought the new (and unwanted) craze of social distancing. Now whenever we visit the dentist, doctor or even supermarket we are required to stand 1.5m apart from the people around us and hand sanitisation is no longer an option.

We don’t know how long this virus is going to be an issue for so it is important that social distancing is part of your new general practice clinic design.

Whether you want to set something up temporarily, such as sneeze guards at reception that can be removed without too much disruption to joinery, or you are looking for something a little more permanent in order to reduce the risk of viruses spreading within your practice in the future it is important to make the time to go through all the available options to find what will be right for you, your staff and your patients.

These are only a few things that need to be taken into consideration when envisaging a new general practice clinic design and as you can see it is of the upmost importance to make sure you are dealing with a construction and/or Fitout company who have the experience and knowledge that goes with creating a modern, functional and up to code medical facility.

Roughing It

In a world where technology reins supreme it can be exciting to see raw, natural elements being utilised indoors as a main interior feature.

Slick is definitely the word when it comes to the devises we rely so heavily on in order to perform our daly tasks.

This article by Yellowtrace showcases some extremely beautiful ‘cave like’ interiors

https://www.yellowtrace.com.au/meet-the-flintstones-contemporary-cave-like-interiors/

Article by Yellowtrace

Photo by Fran Parente

Build WELL

Design / By Clinics By Design

These days we are all about health and well-being, so why not make your clinic WELL compliant?

The WELL Building Standard consists of features across eight concepts that address not only the design and operations of buildings, but also how they impact and influence human behaviors related to health and well-being.

These features include:

1. Air –

Incorporate strategies to reduce or minimise sources of indoor air pollution. These strategies include, but are certainly not limited to: microbe & mould control, moisture management, air filtration, construction pollution management, pest control, cleanable environment, increased air ventilation and air quality monitoring.

2. Water –

Provide high quality drinking water and improve its accessibility. As we know humans are made up of more than two-thirds water which is why it is imperative we drink as much as we can throughout the day. But as we also know, many people do not! By providing clean drinking water that is easily accessible to everyone that comes into your building you are promoting regular water intake.

3. Nourishment –

Nutrition is so important but it can sometimes be hard to stick to eating well when there are so many goodies on offer. The easiest way to take temptation out of the equation is to remove it all together. Instead of vending machines that house chocolate, chips and soft drink provide fresh fruit and bottled or filtered water.

4. Light –

Sufficient light, whether it is natural or artificial, can have many positive effects on employees including improved alertness and plays a huge role in any office environment. By ensuring your office space is properly lit you are not only giving your environment a welcoming, warm feeling you are also reducing discomfort for your staff.

5. Fitness –

When working in an office environment it is easy to get stuck down at your desk for hours on end which is why it is imperative you not only give your employees the opportunity to move, you should also be encouraging it. Items such as sit to stand desks are a great idea in order to give staff the option of sitting or standing while they work but why not introduce other physical activities into your work day. Try standing while you hold meetings, not only does this give everyone a chance to get up and out of their seats but it is also thought to improve concentration and productivity.

6. Comfort –

Comfort is one of the most important things to consider when setting up a workplace. We all want to feel comfortable and considering the amount of hours we spend at work comfort is key in order to keep staff productive and alert. Three very important aspects of comfort within an office are acoustics, ergonomics and accessibility.

Acoustics – Although noise can be a benefit in getting the brain working and collaborating is encouraged in most workplaces it can also be a distraction so be sure to make sure you have good acoustics within the areas of your office you would like to be used as quiet space.

Ergonomics – The correct seating can make a huge difference in how someone works. If they are uncomfortable they are more likely to lose concentration and take more breaks. Ensure you give your staff good quality task chairs with approved AFRDI ratings.

Accessibility – It is extremely important to make everyone in your office feel welcome which is why accessibility is so important. When designing your office layout make sure it is compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). By doing this you are showing that you do not discriminate against anyone with a physical disability whether it is an employee or client.

7. Mind –

It is incredible what the mind is capable of and with the rate of mental illness growing rapidly it is something that we need to talk about. Whether it is creating an aesthetically pleasing space within your office for staff to take time out when they need it or making it a priority that staff members are educated on mental illness, its variances, how to recognise it and what affects it can have is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ways of creating a mindfully healthy workplace.

And finally…….

8. Innovation –

An innovative workplace is a productive workplace. We don’t come to the above conclusions without research which is why it is so important to make time to look into ways of improving your workplace on a regular basis. Not only will you be rewarded with happy workers and content clients, you will have the peace of mind that you are doing all you can to improve the productivity of your business, making it the best it can be.

A Space To Suit All

Design / By Clinics By Design

Staff morale is such an important aspect of every business but is something that is often forgotten when it comes to planning your clinics layout.

Of course it is impossible to keep everyone happy every single time, and there are always one or two that don’t like the thought of ‘change’, but with some forward thinking and planning you can show your staff that their health and wellbeing are at the top of your practice’s priorities.

something as simple as seating can make a huge impact on the comfort of your staff.

Purchase ergonomic chairs with an AFRDI rating and if possible have an ergonomic chair specialist come into your clinic in order to fit each staff member personally for the proper lumbar and back support to suit them.

Create functional yet flexible spaces that can be used by staff, and yourself, for casual meetings as well as breaks by utilising acoustic friendly furniture and partitioning where possible.

Depending on the type of business you are running your staff may benefit from open plan spaces where they can collaborate or segregated areas in which confidential conversations and meetings can take place. Either way, both of these are easily achieved utilising furniture, partitioning and joinery creatively.

By taking the time to consider the needs of your staff you are more likely to have loyal, longterm relationships with your workers.

Design