Wow…2011!

Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the Queensland floods – wishing everyone the best for a speedy clean up – hope everything gets back to normal soon…

On the other side of the country,  it’s been a great start to 2011 for the Ego Squared team – we have finally got our new Ego Squared website up and running – check it out here.

We’ve got a fabulous practice which started construction in the middle of December. I was onsite early last week and the plumbing is done, the partitions are up (well the framing anyway) – more details (and hopefully some photos) soon!

The construction of project in regional WA is also well underway – this is a major renovation to an existing practice and I look forward to taking a trip to check out the finished product in the next couple of months.

Another project is well under way in construction in a Perth inner city suburb – I am meeting with the graphic designer this week to get the external signage finalised. This one is due to be finished by the end of next month!

We are also at the end of the design process for a couple of great projects – a dental practice in a Perth northern suburb and a new medical centre in regional WA.

One project is in council (planning approval) and we are hoping to start Stage 2 of the design process in the next couple of weeks.

It’s like we never had a break – holiday…what holiday?! Hope your year is looking great too!

Dr Huy Nguyen’s new practice ‘Smiles 4 Miles’ is open for business! We where very pleased to attend the opening party for the Beechboro practice a couple of weeks ago.

As this is Dr Nguyen’s first practice his wish list was very reserved. We were able to provide him with a future plan that will allow him to expand into his practice as his business will invariably grow.

This was a great project on a couple of levels: 

• Dr Nguyen was open to suggestions in regard to not only the layout, but also the aesthetics – trusting in the design process.
• We had room to move – we were able to achieve a lovely balance between accomodating his requirements (and more) and creating a great sense of space within the practice.
• From the first meeting, through the design and construction phases to the opening party things went comparatively smoothly.
• This may or may not have been a factor, but we do support the same football team (which did quite well this season !…)

Thanks to Bill and his team at Dentpro for bringing our design to reality – it looks fabulous!

We wish Dr Nguyen all the best with his new practice and look forward to uploading some photos into our gallery soon!

I’ve been looking at a lot of waiting chairs recently and in my travels have found some gorgeous examples, which to be honest wouldn’t necessarily go into a dental practice, but it breaks up the day!

Your waiting chair should be comfortable and generally should have a stable arm, but there’s no reason it shouldn’t look good or be the feature in your waiting room.

You should also take into account the demographic of the practice with the style and price point of your waiting chair.

Although it is tempting to buy some dining chairs from IKEA, it’s important to note that these chairs are designed for residential use – a commercial grade chair (and its upholstery) is essential for longevity unless you’re happy to replace them after a year or two. This might be quite relevant for a particularly fashionable chair which may soon look out dated.

If you have the space, it’s great to use a number of types of chairs to give your patients a choice. We are currently working on a large orthodontic practice we have incorporated single lounge armchairs with a chair (without an arm).

A bench seat maybe suitable for a section of a waiting room, perhaps if the space is a little tight, but I would generally prefer to see chairs with arms for elderly or disabled patients (or at least a combination of chairs). As someone who was on crutches recently, chairs with arms are essential!! There is also no flexibility with layout and they tend to be quite expensive to construct.

So on that, pricing (for our Australian clients): we recently specified a polypropolene chair (see adjacent) for around $150 ea.

When looking at an upholstered chair, you might be able to find something for around for $200. I would allow for $250 to $500 ea (or more if you want something particularly special).

A bespoke bench seat is around $800 to $1000 a lineal metre (depending on your choice of fabric).

Also, you will need to take into account the availability of the chairs and upholstery. Some chairs may take 8 to 12 weeks to either construct or ship (or both).

Allow for 3 to 4 waiting chairs per dental chair, depending on the space, location and type of practice.

So, the things to consider when it comes to selecting your waiting chair:

- type of chair

- number required

- space available

- demographic of your patients

- price point

- availability of the chair and upholstery

So, there is a lot to consider when selecting your waiting chair! If it gets too overwelming, let your designer help you out!

Phew…I’ve totally missed August and September!

Things are pretty hectic in the Ego Squared studio at the moment, but I thought it essential to get on to the website and let you know what we’ve been up to…

We currently have four projects in construction – the first of those (in Beechboro) will be finished in the next two weeks and I look forward to getting some photos in the gallery soon! The others will be finished before the end of the year!

We are also tendering a large specialist practice at the moment – this one is due to be finished in December, too! I really need to get the concepts in the gallery for this one – fabulous!

Oooh, another project which is in the pricing stage is a lovely heritage building in Fremantle – another specialist practice…can’t wait to show you this one!

We are also working on a great project in regional WA; extending an existing medical centre (almost doubling the space) to incoporate allied health professionals. 

Earlier in the year, we were working with a dentist in a suburb north of Perth to get planning approval for a new practice. The building required a ‘Change of Use’ and the local council wheels turn slowly. We are now working on a concept design package.

We also have another practice submitted for planning approval in a suburb south of Perth. This one is in a medical centre (therefore, doesn’t need Change of Use), however we are combining two tenancies and want to adjust the location of the entry. Crossing fingers that this council won’t take long to approve this! 

Well, now I know where August and September went! I’m looking forward to getting some of these new projects into the gallery soon!

When things get a bit hectic I find it a bit difficult to write a well thought out blog. However, I still find the time to get onto Facebook – I guess it’s more casual (even a little mundane), but I love the immediacy and the interaction.

So, for an up to the minute look at what Ego Squared are up to, swing over to our Surgery Interior Design page.

Last week I enjoyed celebrating with Dr Tim Crofts, his wife, Kerry and a host of their friends, family and colleagues at the opening of their new practice.

I really enjoyed working on this practice. Not only were Tim and Kerry lovely to work with, I was given the opportunity to leave the city and take in some of that fresh country air.

Together, we were able to create a fabulous, spacious practice that will work for Dr Crofts for years to come, especially with the ‘future plan’ in place for when the time is right.

Thanks to the team at Changing Spaces – they did a fantastic job on the construction. They really took the time to liase with myself and Tim and Kerry to achieve the vision we worked hard to create.

Check out some photos in our Gallery

Central Periodontics is complete and open for business!

We really enjoyed working with Dr Fleur Creeper and wish her and her team all the best in their new practice!

Check out some photos in our Gallery