Geoffrey Hodgdon

Pediatric dental office designed to be a playground for all ages

Falls Church practice caters to three different age groups - infant to five, six to eleven, and teenagers - the design needed to make each group, as well as their parents, feel secure

By Healthcare Facilities Today


When Dr. Girish Banaji was designing his new pediatric dental office in Falls Church, Virginia. he didn’t want his new office to look childish or immature, according to an article on the Contract magazine website.

“I wanted it to be a space for parents and children as they grow,” he said in the article. “Not just for three-year-olds, but for three-year-olds who will become fifteen-year-olds.” 

FORMA Design, Inc. principal Andreas Charalambous set out to create a playground for all ages. 

“The space needs to make you feel good and address any stress by providing you with clues you’re in good hands,” Charalambous said in the article. 

Since the practice caters to three age groups — infant to five, six to eleven, and teenagers — the design needed to make each group, as well as their parents, feel secure, the article said, The architect’s strategy for easing anxiety was to create a space kids would love.

Charalambous designed a central sign-in and waiting area that acts as a hub for the 7,500-square-foot space. The entrance has three blue arcs, or “cocoons,” defining three recreational areas: a cafe and video game room, an area with lounge seating, and a glassed-in, multipurpose game room. 

Read the article and view the images.

 

 

 



December 13, 2013


Topic Area: Construction and Design


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