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Veterinary Fitouts

Veterinary Fit Out

Things to consider when designing a Veterinary Fit Out.

Veterinary Fitouts / By

Designing a Veterinary fit out is an individual journey for each Veterinary Practice.  We have found through years of experience in Veterinary design, that early consultation with our clients is key to understanding the key factors that affect the efficient operation and flow of their Veterinary Practice.

Close consideration is paid to space planning and design for all functional zones including Consultation rooms, surgery rooms, waiting areas, reception areas, caged areas, staff amenities, safety and the comfort of both humans and animals alike.

Today we will focus on how different animal clientele effect the design of a veterinary fit out. We will consider things that our design team usually consider when planning for various different animal care.

Examination rooms

The size of each consultation room is often dictated by the available space together with the animal clientele. Specialist animal hospitals that have similar clientele will often design consultation rooms with similar dimensions through their practice, yet other animal hospitals might have larger consultation rooms to suit larger animals ie horses or cows. Rural Vet Practices often have internal and external examination rooms to cater for various animals.

Separate Entrances

Sometimes animal hospitals that cater for diverse animal patients might consider various different entrances. For example, larger farm animals might have an entrance direct from holding yards into a consultation room together with more main-stream entrances for the more domesticated animal such as dogs, cats and rabbits.

Animal Cages

Animals that are being monitored or have undergone surgery will often spend some time at the veterinary clinic. This can also include overnight stays.  In regards to catering for all different animals, a well-planned veterinary fit out would include various cage sizes to cater from larger animals such as large breed dogs and smaller cages for kittens and rabbits.  Many Veterinary clinics also will have glass cages with ultraviolet lights for reptile and bird enclosures.

Hygiene and cleanliness for these areas is critical to infection control.  Ensuring floors, cages, examination tables, waiting areas are designed with non-porous materials is fundamental to the longevity to the veterinary practice and overall health of patients.

Proper ventilation in animal cages and animal containment rooms is critical to maintaining air quality and to reduce the risk of respiratory issues in the enclosed area.

Waiting areas and Reception

Comfortable waiting areas for both pets and their owners is a crucial factor in determining if a customer returns or not. Veterinary practices with ample space may invest in separate waiting areas for dogs and cats in an attempt to minimise stress on both the pet and owner. Smaller Veterinary Practices might have well designed smaller waiting areas that provide some visual isolation in an attempt to alleviate anxiety for both owner and pet alike.

Sound minimising fittings are a welcome addition to bustling noisy waiting areas. Loud barking that echoes off walls will simply increase the stress levels of already anxious pets. Accordingly, sound minimising fittings are a sensible investment in creating a calmer environment.

Exotic pet facilities

Reptiles, small mammals and birds often require additional consideration to achieve a calm, healthy environment. This might include heat lamps, UV lights and temperature control.  Specialist pet diagnostic equipment such as avian endoscopy or reptile incubators are additions to some veterinary practices and must be considered during the design phase.

Parking areas

Designing car parking areas that cater for larger animals with trailers and other large vehicles is key to calm transport management. Safe unloading zones together with safe holding areas require additional space planning and consideration. These areas might also require water management and undercover areas for relief form Australia’s sun and rain.

There is a plethora of considerations that designers consider when designing spaces for various different veterinary practices.  Designing a veterinary fit out is usually prepared by experienced architects and builders in collaboration of owners and other stakeholders. Ensuring that your Veterinary Practice can cater for the multitude of animals that come through the door will be the first step to ensuring the future success of your Veterinary Practice.

How to Choose the Best Veterinary Clinic Design?

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The thought of renovating or building a new Veterinary Practice is daunting. Almost certainly, you have been laying awake at night with ideas in your head.

Your dream Veterinary practice might be in its infancy – but we are here to help with the next step in your vet clinic design.

Here are a few essential factors to keep in mind when planning your vet clinic design.

1. Select a Veterinary Construction company to partner with.

Investigate and select a design and construction company with Veterinary experience.
These specialists will help navigate the intricate details of Vet Clinic design including:

 

Easy to use and clean materials for floor, walls, and fixtures

Provision for disposing of waste hygienically

A well-constructed holding area to prevent animals from getting injured or escape

 Animal areas to limit different animal interaction or to hold aggressive/anxious animals

Thought-out floor plan that has space for separate offices, examination rooms, waiting area, reception desk, pantry, kitchen area, etc.

Separate entrances for public and business areas of the clinic

Lockup facilities to safely keep medical equipment

Dedicated space for cold storage / refrigeration

 

It’s essential to take the time to view their previous jobs. Visit previous Fitouts that the Vet specialist has undertaken. This is a key to selecting the right partner for you. Most importantly pay particular attention to the Vet Clinic Design in the vet practices that you visit.

2.Latest Designs and Trends

Many vet clinic design teams are increasingly prioritizing sustainable design and safer spaces. We consider options like more indoor plants, locally sourced material and furniture, open spaces using glass that allows for natural light, easy to clean floors and cabinetry, and energy efficient considerations.


Acoustic panels between walls for noise cancellation, customized and comfortable seating arrangements, adding more glass in interiors, different colors and textures that add a pleasing aesthetic for the clients, are some of the new design ideas for Vet Clinic design. Ensure the vet specialist you choose is ahead of the game.


Most importantly each vet clinic design should consider animal comfort, staff workplace needs and customer requirements. This mix is essential to create a functional, peaceful, calm, vet clinic that will thrive.

3.Room for move

Vet Clinic design should also leave room for future change. Money invested into refurbished vet clinics or newly constructed Vet clinics should show return on investment. Some clinics might wish to add additional services like grooming or daycare at some future point – thinking ahead is most important in the design phase.

4.Builders suitably qualified

Ensure your veterinary specialist has an unlimited commercial builder’s license. This license is important to show that they are right for the job. Builders holding a builders license are answerable to the VBA. It’s peace of mind for the customer to know that they are suitably qualified.

Some vet builders use other companies’, builders’ licence. This is a recipe for disaster.


At Clinics By Design we understand what is important when it comes to creating veterinary practices. Our medical design team have a wealth of knowledge to share with you regarding intelligent design, clinical layout and what is required in a veterinary environment. Call us today

Designing for Happy Pets and Happy Humans

Veterinary Fitouts / By

When it comes to veterinary clinic design and vet clinic care in general we know that happy pets and happy owners. 

 

For the most part most pet owners consider their pets their family and so a trip to the vet can be just as stressful on them as it can their faithful companion. 

Although the attention you give the animals in your care is paramount, the way you make those animals and their owners feel when they walk into your clinic is just as important. This is where the correct veterinary clinic design can make all the difference in helping your clinic stand out from the rest for all the right reasons. 

 

When it comes to atmosphere getting the design right can help to invoke feelings of calmness and tranquility in both animals and humans and so there are certain things that should be considered. 

 

Furniture 

Veterinary clinic furniture needs to be selected in a different way to the furniture that you would put into a general clinic. In a setting in which ‘spills’ (and occasional chewing) are commonplace you need to furnish in order to keep your space hygienic and comfortable for owners and their pets.

 

The last thing you want is a waiting room that is decorated with furniture that is torn, falling apart and showing rust due to a few ‘nervous accidents’ over the years. This kind of welcome can be very off-putting for many and even turn people away (which also means running the risk of poor, or worse, no word of mouth recommendations).

 

Separate Areas

When designing the floor plan of your new veterinary clinic think about things such as the amount fo space you have available to you and how this can be utilised in a way that will make everyone feel as comfortable and calm as possible. 

 

Something such as separating your waiting area into two sections in which cats can congregate on one side and dogs on the other can make a huge difference to your clinics atmosphere and also opens up the opportunity for targeted retail areas.

 

If you are a dog owner with a pup who has a tendency for chasing cats up trees you probably aren’t going to be too comfortable walking through a waiting area full of felines in order to have a look at the dog food, and nervous cat owners will want to avoid barking dogs at all costs. You are however, more likely to have a look around maybe make a purchase if everything is close at hand and easily accessible.

 

Good veterinary clinic design is about remembering that the animals coming into your practice are more than likely not feeling the best and therefore may act out of character when thrown into a stressful environment, therefore comfort is key.

 

Effective Working Spaces

It’s not only the animals that we need to take care of when creating your new clinic. Staff members also need to be taken into careful consideration when it comes to your veterinary clinic design. Making sure you are giving them the perfect working environment will ensure they can go about their daily tasks with minimal disruption creating a smooth workflow and increased efficiency.

 

We find the best way to ensure you are setting your clinic up properly for your staff members is to ask them.

 

Of course you are never going to keep everyone 100% happy and we aren’t expecting everyone to fall in love with the same paint colour you choose to use on the walls but it is important to make sure you have a general agreement between staff members when it comes to the big items that you, as the practice owner, may not use yourself.

 

Things such as joinery which determine the location of certain administration items or larger pieces of equipment need to be designed for the correct position in order to create a smooth work flow.

If printing records and receipts is a regular occurrence for your reception staff you will want to make sure the printer is close to them so they aren’t having to walk into another room every time they need to print something off.

 

Having happy staff is also a huge benefit for patients. Flustered looking staff can lead to flustered patients. Its a knock on effect, therefore by giving your staff members the right veterinary clinic design to work in from the beginning can go far when it comes to the atmosphere you are looking to create. 

How your patients and their humans feel when they walk into your clinic sets the mood for the entire appointment, therefore it is imperative you get your veterinary clinic design right from the get go.

Is Your Practice Pet Friendly?

Veterinary Fitouts / By

As the owner of a veterinary clinic of course your clinic is pet friendly, that’s what you do, make pets better and keep them healthy, right?

 

Although the care you and your staff provide may be second to none, there are certain things you can include in your vet clinic design in order to create a calming atmosphere for animals (and their humans) from the moment they walk in the door therefore making it as pet friendly as possible.

 

Comfortable design is imperative in any medical environment, including your new veterinary practice.

As we know, vet clinics can be stressful places, not only for animals but also for their owners, so it is extremely important to try and create a warm and welcoming space for everyone.

 

Animal hospital/ clinic furniture has certain differences to general medical furniture. In a place where ‘spills’ are commonplace you need to furnish in order to keep your space hygienic and comfortable for owners and their pets.

 

No-one wants to walk into a veterinary waiting room that is loud, smelly and decorated with chairs showing rust due to a few ‘nervous week’s’ over the years. This kind of welcome can be very off-putting and turn people away which also means running the risk of poor, or worse, no word of mouth recommendations.

 

How your patients and their humans feel when they walk into your clinic sets the mood for the entire appointment which is why it is imperative you get your vet clinic design right from the start.

 

If someone feels uncomfortable and has to wait for an extended period of time to be attended to their mood might be very different by the time they get to their appointment than if they were to walk into a warm, welcoming space where staff members are on hand to help as quickly as possible.

 

If you have a pet of your own you will know they are more like family members than pets. And because of this owners want to see a clean clinic in which they feel their pet is going to get the best care possible.

Your waiting area furniture should be designed not only for sick or injured pets but also for their owners.

 

Think about things such as the floor plan of your waiting area and how you can utilise the space you have in order to create a calming environment for everyone.

Something such as separating this area into two sections where cats can congregate on one side and dogs on the other can make a huge difference to your clinics atmosphere and also opens up the opportunity for targeted retail areas.

 

If you are a dog owner with a pup who has a tendency for chasing cats up trees you probably aren’t going to be too comfortable walking through a group of cats in order to have a look at the dog food, and nervous cat owners will want to avoid barking dogs at all costs. You are however, more likely to have a look around maybe make a purchase if everything is close and easily accessible.

 

Good vet clinic design is about remembering the animals coming into your clinic are more than likely not feeling the best and therefore may act out of character when put into a stressful environment and therefore comfort is key.

 

Staff members also need to be taken into careful consideration when it comes to your vet clinic design. Making sure you are giving them the perfect working environment will ensure they can go about their daily tasks with minimal disruption creating a smooth workflow and increased efficiency.

 

Having happy staff is also a huge benefit for patients. Flustered looking staff can lead to flustered patients. It’s a knock on effect, therefore by giving your staff members the right vet clinic design to work in from the beginning can go far when it comes to the atmosphere you are looking to create.

First Impressions Last

Veterinary Fitouts / By

Making a good first impression in any medical environment is important. You need your patients to feel like they are in a safe environment straight away in the hope it will ease some of their tension.

 

Understandably pet owners can get just as nervous about a trip to the vet as our furry (or winged or scaly) friends so as a veterinary practice owner it is definitely worth taking the time to make sure you are creating a warm and welcoming environment from the moment your patients and their owners walk through your doors.

 

Considering a ‘Fear Free’ environment when you take on a new veterinary practice construction can totally change the experience both pets and owners have when they visit your clinic.

 

The fear that people and pets feel can start as early as the front door. Whether is it the fear of the unknown or knowing what their pet could potentially have to go through during a visit can cause a lot of stress which is why it is important you make sure your waiting area is set out to accommodate everyone in the most comfortable manner possible.

 

If space permits it is advisable that you have separate waiting areas for cats and dogs. By doing this you are reducing the risk of anxiety between animals and therefore reducing the anxiety between owners as well.

 

These areas can be made clearly identifiable with the use of imagery and product placement so owners know exactly which space to head to while they wait therefore avoiding any confusion in someone that may already be feeling a bit out of sorts.

Artwork can also have a positive impact on people as a welcome visual distraction while they wait for their pet’s appointment.

 

When it comes to joinery it is definitely helpful to use materials that can be cleaned efficiently as well as thoroughly.

Vinyl is a great option when it comes to the patient side of your reception desk or other loose pieces of joinery placed around the waiting area (i.e. refresh stations) where certain spills are common.

 

The types of cleaning products you use can also help in a big way to create a fear free environment. As a vet you would know all about nose blindness in dogs and how important it is to use odour neutral cleaning products in order to reduce the risk of dogs becoming confused in their surrounds, in turn causing unnecessary anxiety.

 

With the use of odour free disinfectants you are building the stepping stones to create an environment that is a welcoming and pleasant place for dogs to visit.

 

Now, not only do you need to look after your patients and their pets but you also need to make sure your veterinary practice construction is suitable for your staff members. By creating an efficient environment as opposed to something that looks great but is not practical for their daily tasks you are showing care for their wellbeing too.

 

The best way to make sure you are including the items that are most important to your staff members within your veterinary practice construction is to speak to them.

 

Show them a rough floor plan and ask for input on joinery and accessibility to certain parts of the clinic. What might not seem like a big deal to you could make another staff member’s day much easier.

 

By building your new veterinary practice construction around the comfort and wellbeing of not only your patients (and their humans) but also your staff you are creating a place people want to be in and will be happy to come back to time and time again.

 

You would be surprised how much that first impression can impact someone’s first visit so it is imperative you take the steps into getting this right.

Veterinary Clinic Construction and Fit Out Tips

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The construction or renovation of your own veterinary clinic can be both an exciting and stressful time.

 

It is important to have good communication with your design and construct company along with a plan in order to help things run as smoothly as possible.

Here are a few tips we find can really help clients navigate their way through the initial ‘I’ve taken on too much and i’m in way over my head’ stage, and believe us, we get this a lot!

Prepare Yourself –

The design of a veterinary clinic is not something that happens overnight, nor is the construction of it.

 

When you are investing your hard earned money into something such as this it is imperative that you get it right from the beginning and thats where patience comes into play.

 

Getting plans perfect, and then getting those perfect plans through council can sometimes take upwards of 6 months so it is very important that you are aware of this from the get go in order to reduce the risk of disappointment when you realise you will not be able to open the doors of your beautiful new veterinary clinic three months after signing a contract.

 

Be Mindful about Keeping Moving –

We understand that in an ideal world trading through the renovation of your veterinary clinic would be ideal. While it can slow things down we know how important it is for you to continue treating your valued patients.

 

Unfortunately for handover reasons we are unable to make part of a new construction available while finishing the rest but when dealing with a renovation there are some things we can do in order to accommodate a functioning clinic. Creating essential areas is one way to keep you going while not being able to work at full capacity. It is important to think about the spaces that get used the most and how long these areas can be out of action for in order for us to create a practical time schedule.

 

Think about the Long Term –

It is always important to take potential growth into consideration when designing your new veterinary practice.

What you need now may not be the same as what will be needed 10 years down the track and although you may think the best option is to cater for todays needs you don’t want to get stuck with a space that is unable to promote growth and therefore cost you more money in the not so distant future.

 

Create spaces within your clinic that are functional now but can be adapted and extended on in the future for a different use.

 

Think about Your Team –

Each of your staff members are an integral cog in the machine that is your successful business and each of them have very different needs in order to perform their job efficiently.

 

In the same way your receptionist may not know which treatment room layout is going to be the most efficient for you or your specialist surgeons you may not realise just how important layout is for their area in order to complete their busy administration tasks quickly and effectively.

 

Something as simple as popping your preliminary plans in the lunch room and giving your staff the chance to voice their opinions on their specific areas really shows that you are open to having a conversation in order to make their workplace as comfortable and efficient as possible.
Small things such as access and layout can play a huge part in a staff members day and by making their areas functional you will in turn have happy, effective workers.

Is Carpet Bad for You?

Veterinary Fitouts / By

One question that comes up from time to time with new clients is whether carpet can be a trigger for allergies and asthma and therefore a health risk?

 

We can see why this would be something that needs to be taken into consideration and in a way it makes sense to think that carpets could be the cause, but in actual fact it is the opposite.

 

Unlike hard, flat flooring where dust particles are easily disturbed through something as little as a breeze through an open window or someone walking past, carpet fibres are actually able to trap these particles and with the proper maintenance and cleaning will reduce the amount of airborne allergens significantly.

 

Carpet is also low VOC (Volatile organic compounds – organic chemicals that have a high vapour pressure at ordinary room temperature) due to the process of being passed through a finishing oven. This process removes most solvents and volatile chemicals leaving the end product with a low VOC content.

When Moving is not an Option

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We understand that moving isn’t always an option. Sometimes you may have to be a certain distance from other specialists working in your field maybe you just can’t find the right tenancy in a better location or it just comes down to cost.

 

So if this is the case don’t give up on your dream to have a new clinic. The team at Clinics by Design can still help you turn your existing clinic into the new space you, your staff and patients will love.

 

We are experts in working with existing spaces and troubleshooting tricky areas that have the potential for a new and better use.

 

Contact one of our team members today to discuss your medical/ dental or veterinary clinic upgrade needs.

Therapy Through our Furry Friends

Veterinary Fitouts / By

Through working closely with Veterinarians in order to give them the perfect fit out we have noticed just how important animals can be in creating a calming (even fun!) atmosphere within a clinic environment and why the ‘parents’ of these fur babies love them so much.

 

Most of us would have heard of animal therapy in which animals, mainly dogs or cats, are used across many areas such as aged care and hospital visits and Physical rehabilitation.

 

There is even the heart warming story of Beau the Cavoodle who resides at DentalCareXtra in Queensland and keeps nervous patients company while they wait.

 

Dogs have been used within psychoanalysis sessions as they have been seen to assist with patients opening up more and they can create companionship for those struggling with illnesses such as autism, dementia and stroke.

 

Comfort/ therapy dogs have such a positive impact within a clinical environment it would not be a surprise to see numbers rise and in turn make all sitting in the dental or medical waiting room that little more at ease.

Keeping Your Best Friend Happy

Veterinary Fitouts / By

We talk a lot about keeping patients happy but generally we are speaking about the 2 legged kind. As we also do a lot of work with veterinarians it is important for us to know what keeps animals happy in a medical environment also.

 

The best way to achieve this is through good design. Good veterinary practice design  will create an efficient and practical environment for staff and pet owners and therefore creating a calm and happy environment.

 

We all know how much animals feed off our moods so a relaxed environment equals relaxed pets.

Think about layout, do you want to have separate areas for dogs and cats?

Furniture, what upholsteries are the best for easy cleaning and hygiene?

 

Flooring, which flooring is best for spills!

 

Treatment space, the way the clinic is set out will determine how efficient your staff are which is extremely important, especially during times in which pets are separated from their owners….their humans……their mum and dad.

 

By putting the time and thought into an intelligent floor pan streamlining day to day procedures will become easy for everyone involved therefore resulting in a happy and efficient clinic.