Help with medical/optometry office design.

Been a while since I've been here since I've been so busy with work.

New Project: Designing a medical office. I'm going to probably be starting my own practice finally, its in a rural town so it has to look like a medical office, but I want it to be streamlined and up to date looking. Its going to be an optometry office, so I will be displaying frames and sunglasses as well. Anyone have any experience with this? most offices look like they are out of the 70s, and not in a good way. any links or ideas would be helpful. space is goign to be somewhat limited, so I'm going to have to be a bit creative.

thanks,

http://www.bloommiami.com
They are in miami- but they do travel and they get very into what you want to achieve.
Worth a call...

I would be interested in helping with any questions you may have. I have been in the design field now for about 10 years and am going to be going off on my own soon and am taking on some projects now to start getting a client base and cantacts made out there. let me know if you are interested
Thanks

Hey there. It's great to see some practitioners out there who are interested in something besides the typical medical office. Yes, as you say out of the 70s and not in a good way. I'm a nationally certified health care designer, and no, I don't want your business - too busy. But I would like to offer some advice if I may. Please get some professional preliminary help with the space planning of the office - or at least go to an architectural library and get some solid resarch under your belt. What you want the office to look like aesthetically is totally up to you, but if it doesn't WORK - it won't work, if you get my meaning. Designing a residence DIY is much different than designing a public space. Public spaces have to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the public and ensure accessible access to those in wheelchairs and so on. You should really consult a professional to ensure that you comply with local building codes and ADA (Americans with Disabilities) Guidelines. Even all of this aside, a professional can arrange the space to be most efficient and function at it's best. After that's all taken care of, you can make it look as streamlined and up to date as you want. Aesthetics are just that, but codes and function must come first. I don't mean to get on a soap box, but I've had too many doctors (and their spouses) try to design a medical office, only to call in my firm to fix what they did wrong. Let me know if you'd like some specific tips or ideas for specific issues you encounter. What's your location? Thanks and good luck!

check out www.tecnikos.com and search site for /projects/commercial/broadway vision ballard pediatric
they are in Seattle. If you get in touch tell Charlie that Don sent you his way. Good luck.

thanks for the quick reply everyone.

I do have a best friend that is a construction manager, and his wife is an interior designer that mostly does commercial office buildings. I'm pretty sure they can help with all that. IF i make my office in the medical arts building by the hospital, I'd really be limited in what I could do, but the color of the room, the design of the frame displays, etc, is all up in the air. Its a pretty small space.

However, I'm also looking at perhaps renovating a building in the downtown area that is a little more open to redesign.

There are a lot of other issues, design probably being the least important, but it does get me excited to be able to make it how I want it. I need financing, equipment, and the potential of not even having enough patients...

Also, i agree on the ADA thing, I'll most likely be attached to a hospital so open space for wheelchairs is a must. And it needs to be kid friendly also.

So, hope that gives a bit more info. I was really looking for pictures or whatnot, not so much to steal ideas but more for inspiration. I can understand the problems of fixing a place after a doc tried to design it himself though. ha.

take care.