Dental News - Studio Dental unveils a 230-square-foot mobile unit

Dental Tribune USA

Thu. 11 June 2015

save

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., USA: Dr. Sara Creighton and Lowell Caulder, co-founders of Studio Dental, hired Los Angeles-based Montalba Architects to design a 26-foot-long mobile dental unit to travel to businesses to offer convenient dentistry. Working with only 230 interior square feet, the architects created a visually spacious interior while creatively packing Studio Dental’s required program, including a sterilization room, waiting area and two operatories.

The material palette reinforces Studio Dental’s brand identity with natural wood millwork, bright-white surfaces and a custom perforation pattern. These design elements offer a simplified atmosphere to help patients relax.

Creating this atypical dental environment required ingenious and efficient design solutions. The sterilization room is hidden behind millwork panels that wrap around to form the patient waiting bench with an integrated tablet for patient forms and magazines. A centralized, double-sided millwork panel houses equipment for both operatories and also conceals the sound system and HVAC unit.

Each 8-foot-9-inch by 4-foot-10-inch operatory gestures to the sky, with 11-foot-plus ceilings and translucent sculpted skylights above the patient chairs. Rather than opening the side panels to potentially unattractive exterior environments like urban parking lots, skylights were installed to capture diffused natural light and house TV monitors for patients to watch during their procedures.

To deliver a serene environment, the architects installed acoustic foam walls and ceiling for maximum sound absorption, but utilized a perforated finish to create a stylish appearance. Layered acoustical dampening material in the interior offers a more relaxed patient experience. The centralized millwork panel visually separates patients from one another inside operatories to ensure privacy. Strategically placed mirrored strips in the corners of the operatories alludes to the feeling of openness and further reflects natural light.

This is the second collaboration between Montalba Architects and Studio Dental. In 2010, the architects designed Dr. Creighton’s first office, Washington Square Park Dental in San Francisco. After leaving to open Studio Dental, Creighton sought out Montalba Architects to design San Francisco’s first mobile dental office delivering dental services within an inspiring space.

Studio Dental works with technology companies such as Google and Dropbox to bring dental services to their offices. The mobile environment is completely paper-free and all business transactions are handled online. Patients schedule appointments and pay online with a credit card. Before their appointment, patients receive a text reminder, and after, receive an email with detailed benefits and expenses.

(Source: Montalba Architects)

To post a reply please login or register

Buffalo dental school unveils ‘S-miles To Go’ mobile unit

BUFFALO, N.Y., USA: The University at Buffalo’s School of Dental Medicine recently celebrated the unveiling of its new, state-of-the-art mobile dental...

Mobile dental unit wins national and international design awards

LOS ANGELES, Calif., USA: The design by  Montalba Architects for Studio Dental’s mobile unit has been honored with four awards for its ...

Grant from Delta Dental funds Columbia University mobile care unit

NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation recently announced it has awarded Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) a ...

RGP unveils a new dental operatory at its headquarters

BRISTOL, R.I., USA: RGP, a company that for more than 20 years has provided ergonomic seating to dental professionals, recently added an exhibition ...

Endo Technic unveils Endo Pulse for root canal treatment

SAN DIEGO, CA, USA: Endo Technic, a San Diego, CA-based company, recently introduced new equipment — the Endo Pulse (EP) — to be used during ...

ADA unveils Dental Symptom Checker app

CHICAGO, Ill., USA: The American Dental Association (ADA) has introduced the ADA Dental Symptom Checker on MouthHealthy.org to provide patients with ...

ITL Dental unveils Bone Expander Kit

Bone expander drills are an alternative to osteotomes for the expansion and condensing of the atrophic mandible and maxilla in preparation for dental ...

Seiler unveils two new dental microscopes

NEW YORK, NY, USA: To say Seiler Instrument Corp.’s precision microscopes have a long history with optics would be a bit of an understatement. ...

Benco Dental to acquire ADI Mobile Health

PITTSTON, Pa., USA: Benco Dental, the nation’s largest independent distributor of oral healthcare technology and supplies, has finalized a definitive ...

Curve Dental unveils new features for smartphones, tablets

CHICAGO, Ill., USA: If you are going to spend a busy day at the Chicago Midwinter Meeting, it is a good idea to start the day off with a proper breakfast. ...

Education

Live webinar
Fri. 26 April 2024
12:00 PM EST (New York)