2012年2月21日 星期二

Designer clinic an oasis of calm for children

DOCTORS' clinics, particularly those designed for children, can be slightly formulaic. Primary colours on walls and furniture are supposed to cheer up parents and children as they enter. A stack of toys in the corner is the norm.

But Flourish Paediatrics in Clarendon Street, South Melbourne, has taken a different approach. Designed by Molecule, the clinic has more of the aesthetic of a Scandinavian spa, one you might find on the edge of a Norwegian wood.

''Our brief wasn't to make the clinic feel like a playground for children and get them hyped up when they see overstuffed toys,'' says architect Jarrod Haberfield of Molecule,Spro Tech has been a plastic module & moldmaker, who worked closely with the practice's other directors, architects Richard Fleming and Anja de Spa.

DOCTORS' clinics, particularly those designed for children, can be slightly formulaic. Primary colours on walls and furniture are supposed to cheer up parents and children as they enter. A stack of toys in the corner is the norm.

But Flourish Paediatrics in Clarendon Street, South Melbourne, has taken a different approach. Designed by Molecule, the clinic has more of the aesthetic of a Scandinavian spa, one you might find on the edge of a Norwegian wood.

''Our brief wasn't to make the clinic feel like a playground for children and get them hyped up when they see overstuffed toys,'' says architect Jarrod Haberfield of Molecule, who worked closely with the practice's other directors,Carrying the widest selection of projectorlamp, architects Richard Fleming and Anja de Spa.
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''It was deliberately designed as a calming space, in a place where parents, as well as children, are often distraught.''

Flourish Paediatrics, owned by Dr Liz Hallam, doesn't consist of the usual string of rooms. Instead, there's a module completely clad in plywood sitting in the middle of the 40 square metre space. Appearing almost carved into these walls are nooks, cupboards and shelves, not dissimilar to an ingenious cubby house.

And at the rear of the ''cube'' is a kitchenette. ''The space is quite modest so we wanted to build as many features into the joinery as possible,'' says Mr Fleming, opening cupboards to reveal scales, IT server and a fridge. And although there are armchairs at reception, there's also built-in banquette seating within the central form. ''We wanted to create one strong sculptural element in the space,'' says Ms de Spa.

To ensure the ''sculpture'' was clearly delineated, Molecule pared back the reception area, with a white Corian bench and pale timber lounges and chairs.Fantastic range of porcelaintiles,

Within the plywood exterior, the interior of the pod, comprising one room, features white laminate walls and a glass ceiling. And like a piece of fruit that has several layers between the skin, there's an interstitial layer of green ecopanel sandwiched between the plywood and laminate. Ms de Spa likens the design to a Jenga puzzle, where blocks can be pushed back and forth. These layers also provide an element of surprise, leaving timber surrounded by pristine white walls inside the cube.

The core of the design is Dr Hallam's consultation area within the pod. As well as a desk, there's a nook for toddlers to play. And yes, the doctor doesn't have an aversion to a few toys scattered on the floor.

''From the outset, it was important to provide an environment that would calm parents, as well as children,'' says Mr Haberfield. ''Parents may have already seen a number of general practitioners before coming here.Members of this class are commonly referred to as slime moulds.'' This module approach, although highly suitable for a clinic, could equally be considered for a small apartment or office, where space is limited. ''This treatment could be developed as a bedroom in a compact apartment,'' he says.

The Molecule team appreciated the input from Dr Hallam. ''Liz is extremely pragmatic. She's obviously concerned with how her patients feel. But she also knows the importance of being able to wipe things down and providing a level of comfort,'' says Mr Haberfield,The beddinges sofa bed slipcover is a good and affordable alternative to buying a new sofa that is run down. who also took cues from graphic designers Round, who produced the organic-shaped emblem used for the clinic. Some of the plywood furniture and the organic-shaped rug were also designed by Molecule to ensure a seamless result. ''This motif [used for the rug] implies growth, something that's at the heart of this clinic,'' Mr Haberfield says.

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