Newly Renovated Natural Health Centre Helps Create a Warm, Homey Environment

Photo: Wo-Built’s  Commercial Renovation
Natural Health Center: New  Treatment  Spaces and  Resource Centre

2013 @ wobuilt.com

"My interest in nature began early.
When I was 3, I refused to leave a park because I had to pick ALL the dandelions (just imagine a sea of yellow).
 

My current ambition is to help others to use the power of nature to feel their best.
And to love dandelions as much as I do.  ;-)"
~ Janet McKenzie, Summit Natural Health Centre

Welcome to the Newly Renovated Natural Health Centre

We were privileged to work with Ms Janet McKenzie, ND on her new offices for her Summit Natural Health Centre at 5133 Dundas Street West.

The original use for the space was a sales office for the adjacent condo building, hence we were lucky in being able to reuse a lot of the services (HVAC, Fire/Safety, and Lighting) with minor alterations.

As our mandate is to be green, we also reused as much of the existing finishes (doors, carpet (good quality, almost new), and bathroom fixtures) as we could to lessen the amount of materials that went into the landfill.

Our scope of work included adding several consulting rooms and adding a second bathroom. We had some surprises during the renovations, no renovation is without, but we resolved them in some innovative ways. More of that in a later post.

We were able to help create a warm homey environment for the Health Centre, very much on the lines Ms McKenzie envisaged. Something we feel is very important in a health and wellness environment. A calming and relaxing atmosphere will help ease minds, make clients comfortable and facilitate the journey to wellness.

Summit Natural Health Centre is now open. For more information about natural therapies and treatments please contact the Centre.


Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wobuilt.com/blog: Medical Facilities - Building Image and Branding of Your Spaces
Wo-Built’s Commercial Renovation Project Naturopathic Office

wobuilt.com/blog: Health & Wellness Professionals: You wouldn’t let just anyone Run your Practice; Why let just anyone Remodel your Premises?
The bottom-line: we are nothing without our health. Wo-Built could mean everything to the health and wellness of your practice.

Photo: Wo-Built’s  Commercial Renovation
Natural Health Center: New  Treatment  Spaces and  Reception Area

2013 @ wobuilt.com

About Summit Natural Health Centre
Summit Natural Health Centre is a multi-disciplinary clinic focusing on natural medicine. Our mission is to provide individualized care supported by resources that allow clients and members of the community to learn about health and natural treatments.
Summit offers practitioners' rooms in newly renovated premises located in an area with excellent potential for growth.

Summit Natural Health Center
5133 Dundas Street West
Etobicoke, ON M9A 1C1
Phone: 416-236-7642
E-mail: contactus@summitnaturalhealth.ca
Facebook: Summit Natural Health Centre 
Web: www.summitnaturalhealth.ca

Home Automation Trending at CES 2013

Image Montage by Wo-Built: Home Automation Technology at CES 2013
Images: Top-Left: Lowe’s Iris automation system 
(Source: cepro.com: CES 2013 Shocker: Lowe’s Iris Home Automation Has Legs)
Top-Right: Ivee Sleek voice activation assistant 
(Source: ces.cnet.com: Voice-controlled home assistant is like a nicer HAL 9000)

As CES 2013 kicks into high gear in Las Vegas, it’s clear that our homes are about to become much more interactive, in the digital sense of the word.

Gone are the days of getting up out of your La-Z-Boy to check the thermostat, turn lights on or off, check door locks and much more. You don’t even need to be physically in your home anymore. Interacting with your home is becoming more a matter of remote touch or voice-enabled app via tablet or smartphone.

Lowe’s Iris automation platform works with Zigbee and Z-Wave technologies and sells as a service in the U.S. for $9.99 a month. It offers remote security and home management features, including the ability to monitor cameras, windows and door locks, adjust thermostat, operate compatible devices in real time.

For those within earshot of their house, the Ivee Sleek offers impressive voice-activation capabilities and is compatible with a variety of other devices to give your home that “2001: A Space Odyssey” or “Star Trek” feel. One device which it can control is Nest’s “learning thermostat.”

youtube.com: Meet the Nest Learning Thermostat

Uploaded by Nest on Oct 2, 2012

The Almond+ router by Securifi offers a 2.8-inch touchscreen with Smart Hub integration with Zigbee and Z-Wave technologies. It appears to offer many of the same features as Lowe’s Iris, but without a monthly fee. Still, currently a project on Kickstarter, it may be some time before you can have one in your home.

Image: Securifi’s Almond+ Router
(Source: pcmag.com: CES 2013: Securifi's Almond+ Router Tackles Home Automation)

Want to be able to take command of your interior lighting without waiting for a complete home automation platform? Why not try GreenWave Reality’s WiFi-enabled light bulbs. With available remote controls, dedicated WiFi gateway, and iOS/Android app, you’ll be taking command of your home’s lighting from just about anywhere.

Image: GreenWave Reality’s WiFi-enabled light bulbs with remote control and wireless gateway can be controlled by a custom app running on Apple and Android mobile touch devices.

(Source: latimes.com: CES 2013: Lighting up the smart home)

It looks like the age of the Jetsons may finally be approaching (don’t hold your breath on the flying car, though). Do these gadgets really make a home come alive, though?

In the same way that Las Vegas itself is filled with bells and whistles, but cannot hold a candle to the vitality and vibrancy of a rainforest, home automation technology is no substitute for living organisms.

The technology that gets us more excited is home revitalization: PeapodLife.



Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wikipedia.org: Home automation

pcmag.com: CES 2013: Securifi's Almond+ Router Tackles Home Automation
At CES, Securifi took the wraps off Almond+, a color touch-screen router with an integrated Smart Home hub.
by Samara Lynn

latimes.com: CES 2013: Lighting up the smart home
Smartphones. Smart TVs. Smart appliances. Smart ... light bulbs?
by Jon Healey

smithsonianmag.com: The Gadgets of the Future From the Electrical Shows of Yesterday

The latest and best tweets on #2013CES and #2014ces.
Read what people are saying about the International Consumer Electronics Show or simply CES, and join the conversation.

Some of the Challenges with Providing a Second Bathroom in a Commercial Space

Photos: Wo-Built’s Commercial Building Renovation Project in Progress
2012 @ wobuilt.com

On our last project constructing a second bathroom in a commercial building was an interesting challenge

Most space renovations in large commercial building are generally straight forward as long as you don't mess with the structure. Then it becomes complicated. On our last project constructing a second bathroom was an interesting challenge.

Due to the slab configuration and the element within we could not core the slab for the toilet drain. Luckily we had a "spare hole" (previous drilling) in the vicinity, but, of course not in line for any of the bathroom fixtures. The amount of hoops we had to jump through to get the plumbing to code was phenomenal. But we persevered and we made it work.

On a general note the main issues in commercial spaces are the services, HVAC, electrical, fire/smoke alarms, sprinklers and plumbing are the main ones, because many are centrally controlled and can have system-wide implications. Even installing localized fans can be a problem, because you may have to puncture the outside envelope.

Even though these issues are often difficult, at Wo-Built we look for solutions, however out-side the box thinking we have to do.


Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

10 Reasons Why a Commercial Renovation is more Complicated and Costly than Residential

Photos: Wo-Built’s Commercial Building Renovation Project in Progress
2012 @ wobuilt.com

About to embark on your first commercial renovation?

Here are ten things to keep in mind, especially if you’re tempted to gauge your impending commercial project against residential renovations.

• 1. Design / engineering costs are higher. Due to larger size, greater complexity and/or other factors, commercial renovations require more upfront time and energy to be planned properly.
• 2. City requirements and permitting process more onerous. The City scrutinizes commercial renovations to a greater degree; asks for more engineering reports; etc.
• 3. Services are much more expensive. From mechanical systems through to electrical, sprinklers, fire alarms, HVAC, etc., commercial-grade services and systems require more time and effort to upgrade, relocate, work with and work around.
• 4. Fire/life safety requirements. These are numerous and require a high degree of precision and reliability, including emergency lighting and exits, addition of alarmed push-bars on emergency exit doors, etc. Attempting to change any emergency exit routes may lead to all sorts of project complications or delays.
• 5. Studs are metal. Metal studs are more expensive and more time consuming to work with.
• 6. Hospital-grade wiring and electrical systems. If you’re upgrading medical treatment rooms, standard commercial-grade wiring simply won’t do. Hospital-grade wiring is uniquely designed to meet the parameters of sensitive medical equipment.
• 7. Rules of the landlord. No doubt the landlord will want to have a say in how the project proceeds, making sure none of the building’s rules are broken and the disruption to other tenants is kept at a minimum.
• 8. Rules unique to residentially tenanted buildings. If the building is mixed residential / commercial there are additional rules and restrictions that must be adhered to that can complicate and/or delay a project’s progress.
• 9. Location of bins. This might not seem important, but renovations produce a lot of building waste. The farther bins are from the worksite, the more time is spent getting rid of waste.
• 10. Even relatively simple things become much more complicated. Take adding a bathroom for instance: you’ll likely have to drill through existing concrete structure which will require scans or x-rays (if they are permitted) which are not always conclusive. It should be wheelchair accessible, requiring more real estate.

Bottom line? Make sure you’re working with a design / build contractor you can trust; someone who will keep your interests top-of-mind as they work through the many challenges and pitfalls that any commercial renovation project is bound to present.


Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
msn.com: MSN Real Estate: 10 things contractors won't tell you
Learning a few tricks of their trade will help you ensure you get the job done right and at a fair price.
By SmartMoney

ezineArticles.com: 10 Tips for Commercial Real Estate Investing
"Any plan to invest in commercial real estate calls for right mental attitude, enormous patience and foresight. Not only do they take time to buy and close the deal, but also to repair, restore, remodel and resell. This apart, you should also be prepared to spend long hours of research, cultivate the right business relationships and take crucial investment decisions at the appropriate time...."
By Lincy Stewart

squidoo.com: Commercial Remodeling: Commercial Construction Versus Residential Construction
by wecomparebooks

wobuilt.com/blog: Medical Facilities - Building Image and Branding of Your Spaces

Extreme Heat and Drought: two more reasons for taking charge of your life with Peapod Life

Photo: Corn stalks struggling from lack of rain and a heat wave covering
most of the country lie flat on the ground Monday, July 16, 2012, in Farmingdale, Ill.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Seth Perlman
Source: Yahoo! News: Drought worsens crop damage, raising world food, fuel worry

It’s official: North America is experiencing some of the worst drought conditions in decades. It is being widely reported that the impact on food prices will have a major impact on an already beleaguered economy.

Peapod Life believes the time may be approaching when individuals and families will have to rely on themselves to ensure they have ready access to fresh produce and other foodstuffs. And, as admirable as urban and rooftop gardening efforts are, they can do little without Mother Nature’s cooperation.

Indoor ecosystems by Peapod Life benefit from a controlled environment all year ‘round. Peapod Life ecosystems are sheltered from extreme heat and cold, and constantly re-use and recycle their own water and nutrients, requiring a fraction of the inputs of traditional agriculture.

Because Peapod Life is not a greenhouse or a solarium but shares useable living space, the ecosystem’s environment is your environment: there is no disconnect between your life or your Peapod Life. This maximizes efficiency and ensures conditions suitable to produce food are constantly maintained.

The type and quantity of produce you can grow with Peapod Life depends on your existing indoor space and/or the availability of space to build a Peapod Life addition.

Contact Wo-Built, The Vision Builder, to see how your residential and/or commercial property can be upgraded with Peapod Life. Take charge of your life and future food security today.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Indoor Landscapes: Companies See the Light of a whole New Level of "wow, cool!"

Image Montage by Wo-Built: Indoor Landscapes
Image Credits: Travels with Zen-Aida +
Plantscape - Interior Plant Service, Indoor Office Landscaping

Companies are beginning to embrace the notion of indoor landscapes with more enthusiasm, and it’s no wonder why. The business case is compelling; the players impressive; the wow-factor seductive.

eFig, a U.K.-based non-profit trade association of interior landscapers, have collected a number of reasons why organizations of all sizes and types should invest in professionally installed and maintained plants. Their list of benefits cites various researchers and studies that back up each claim.

The benefits of indoor landscapes to business begin with making a positive impression in reception and sales areas, to reduction in stress, sickness and absenteeism in employees, and an increase in overall productivity. But business leaders should be weary of that word: maintained.

There is something else at work in the mad rush to green interior spaces. It has something to do with what you might call the “wow, cool!” factor; not to mention landscape designers’ determination to “turf” existing notions of what’s “doable” indoors. Consider the following installations.

Image Montage by Wo-Built: “Turf” your notions about what’s “doable.”
Above Left: Grass floor key part of Hassell’s design for PTTEP’s new 46,000 sqm Headquarters.
Image Credit: HASSELL: Projects - PTTEP Headquarters;
Above Right: Grass walls by Heather Ackroyd & Dan Harvey transform church.
Read more: Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture,
Green Building: Living Grass Walls Completely
Cover the Interior of London's Dilston Grove Gallery!
Image Credit: Ackroyd & Harvey: Dilston Grove

That’s all well and good, but there’s a problem. Plants are alive. And, like all living things, they are dependent on their environment. Traditional / conventional buildings are notoriously “sick.” Adding some plants may improve things on one level, we may be creating more problems than we know.

Living walls costing tens of thousands of dollars in plant replacement costs; putrefying soil having detrimental effects on indoor air quality; inappropriate water usage causing more harm to plants than good. Interior landscapers will say anything is doable—even maintainable—but is it really sustainable?

Wo-Built loves “wow, cool!” And we would never have created Peapod Life if we didn’t believe in the benefits of indoor landscapes and healthier spaces. But we also know life comes with strings. We don’t overpromise. And with all-glass designs, you can count on the fact that transparency is our business.

Peapod Life is unique. It’s not about forcing living landscapes into sick buildings or dead spaces in the hopes of healing or resuscitating them. We build autonomous living spaces from the ground up, with an eye on creating fully integrated indoor ecosystems that are beautiful, cost effective and sustainable.

Peapod Life is based on biomimetic design & build philosophies. Our mission is to create sustainable indoor ecosystems supported by living structures that maximize the benefits for all life, especially our clients. Forget about what’s doable. See the natural light of what’s actually livable. Peapod Life.

Yeah, with Wo-Built, you could say it’s time for a whole new level of "wow, cool."

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Peapod Life: Applications for Better Living

Collage: Building Applications for Better Living
Images Credit: MS Office Clip Art

“Gone are the days of dead structures providing shelter for living things.
Now is the time for living structures that support life…all life…Peapod Life.”
– Our Motto

So you know Peapod Life builds indoor garden living spaces, right? And you probably also know we can build you a Peapod Life extension and/or addition to your home. Great! But is that it? Is that the limit of Peapod Life’s technology? Far from it.

Peapod Life designs indoor garden living spaces for many applications: residential, commercial, institutional, public, non-profit. Its standardized modular bio-structure can be scaled, configured and customized with any combination of plants and enabling technologies to accommodate your social, environmental and economic needs.

Let’s consider some building applications for Peapod Life:

Residential
Build your entire house or cottage using Peapod Life’s bio-structural indoor ecosystem. Add an affordable guest suite to your home and show your guests how much you care for providing them a healthy space. Move your kitchen inside a Peapod.

Health & WellnessStress reduction is the key to health, happiness and productivity. Invigorate your health and wellness program, practice or business by adding Peapod Life to your building. Give your employees, patients or customers an on-site sanctuary space like no other: cafeteria, lounge, exercise room, yoga/meditation studio, relaxing spa/treatment room, and much more.

Hospitality IndustryHotel, restaurant, lounge, café, tea-room, banquet hall… imagine patrons enjoying organic fare grown and picked before their eyes as they enjoy the Peapod Life courtesy of your business.

EducationPlants stimulate the senses, improve concentration and make for a better environment. Add indoor organic gardening part of your curriculum: teach valuable life skills and instill a renewed sense of “connection” for future generations. More advanced students? Think hydroponics.

Community / Not-for-ProfitImagine a communal space that can be used in a myriad different ways, 365 days a year, all the while contributing valuable electricity and organic food to the community. Meeting hall, meditation centre, food share/swap site, recital hall…imagine a living space supporting your community.

At Peapod Life, our motto is pretty simple: gone are the days of dead structures providing shelter for living things. Now is the time for living structures that support life…all life…Peapod Life.


Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Health & Wellness Professionals: You wouldn’t let just anyone Run your Practice; Why let just anyone Remodel your Premises?

Image Mosaic: “Health and Wellness Professionals Trust Wo-Built”
Image Credits: Microsoft Office Clipart: Kids playing doctor and patient;
Healthcare clinic waiting area; Band-aid

“The groundwork of all happiness is health.”
Leigh Hunt, English Poet

Beyond medical, dental, and chiropractic care, health and wellness today includes diet, nutrition, exercise, psychology, even spirituality. From naturopathic, homeopathic, and Chinese doctors to physio-, massage, and acupuncture therapists, wellness professionals are leaving the ‘clinic’ to work in Yoga studios, spas, high-end gyms, even trendy aesthetics salons. Health and wellness has truly become a ‘holistic’ affair.

It’s only logical that ‘mind, body, spirit’ practitioners and their premises are being held to the same high expectations established by the medical field. This begs the question: should a wellness practice of any kind risk their reputation and/or litigation for the sake of saving a few thousand dollars?

The days of the cold examination room or the dingy downtown office are numbered. People demand a comfortable, healthy and aesthetically pleasing environment. Spas and salons understand this very well, as do yoga and martial arts studios. Space has a look and a ‘feel.’ Poorly designed and/or cheaply constructed spaces simply have a bad vibe to them. This reflects poorly on you and your practice.

Even the traditional doctor and dentist are beginning to understand that they own a business; and, like any business, they cope with competition and benefit from efficiency. Space defines efficacy. Well-designed and built spaces increase productivity and improve clients’ overall experience. This reflects well on you and your practice.

The Greater Toronto Area is ranked among Canada’s most stressful cities. As a wellness professional you will appreciate Wo-Built’s top-drawer design and build services which recognize your practice may be a business, but you are only human. We do the work on your premises in the shortest time and with the least stress for you.

The bottom-line: we are nothing without our health. Wo-Built could mean everything to the health and wellness of your practice.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
Check our four elements of healthcare facilities design which would ensure flexibility and adaptability without increasing the initial capital costs:
Medical Facilities - Building Image and Branding of Your Spaces

A New Year, a New Adventure in Building

"... we will never forget the great experience of our renovation and the truly exceptional folks that made it happen!”
Carla Ciallella

Wo-Built’s New Year’s Message to You: Relax. Have an Adventure!

In 2012, Wo-Built is relieving people’s misgivings about major residential and commercial renovations. It begins with our newly renovated and re-launched website, www.wobuilt.com.

We occasionally get to see the results of a beautiful home renovation, but the “disaster stories” we hear through the grapevine seem to leave an impression. Along with sticker-shock from being sold what doesn’t actually exist yet, “the building nightmare” seems thoroughly established in our minds.

The alternative—moving—comes with its own headaches, hassles and costs. You may get taken to the cleaners (or discover “nightmares” hidden behind the walls, under floors, in the basement, etc.).

At the start of a New Year, Wo-Built encourages all Toronto homeowners and even real estate investors in the GTA to take a bold step into the unknown: a stress-free adventure in building.

A major home, commercial or investment renovation should be fun, and we make it so! We listen to you, handle the issues and explain the solutions with clarity and transparency. We keep you in the loop.

Above all, we are your advocate: we fight for you at every step of the process, to ensure you get the best possible outcome for the budget we have to work with, with absolutely minimal impact on you.

The end result is always, “Wow! Look what I built with Wo-Built’s help!” There’s nothing better for us.

Addition, major renovation, high-end kitchen … you name it, it can be done. With real estate red-hot in the GTA and interest rates low, why wouldn’t you take the plunge? As your builder-with-a-difference, we work with you (not against you), listen to you (not talk down to you) and keep you in the loop (not keep you up all night). Wo-Built makes residential, commercial or investment building projects a fun adventure to last a lifetime.

Learn more at Wo-Built’s freshly redesigned website for 2012: www.wobuilt.com.

Wo-Built's Team
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Screenshot: Wo-Built Inc. - Your Design & Build Champion
Inspired Design + Adventure in Building + The Wow Factor
2012 @ wobuilt.com

Do Industrial Buildings Have a Future?

Is there a future for industrial sites?
Redesign of old industrial buildings.
2011 @ wobuilt.com

I always had an affinity for large industrial buildings. I admire their scale, the unabashedly form follows function designs and the amazing structures and shapes this creates. There is an inherent beauty in those buildings which should be preserved; they are a part of our heritage.

In past posts we talked about combining old and new, i.e. adding a new part to an old building. We concentrated mainly on residential and commercial buildings, but what about industrial ones. Would this be an option? Often we see these interesting buildings disappear, to be replaced by condos and housing developments.

I lived in London, England, in the 80s and out of interest I researched what happened to the extraordinary Battersea Power Station, a listed industrial building, which was decommissioned as a power station in the early 80s. To my delight the latest proposal by Real Estate Opportunities is placing this great building as part of a massive overall area redevelopment, aiming it to be the largest carbon neutral building in Europe. This would be an amazing green achievement.

So realistically what needs to happen to save these great buildings?

The public will to save them: Before Battersea Power Station was listed as heritage I remember many voices shouting for its demolition. Without doubt, it is easier and less expensive to develop a site without having to preserve, rebuild and sanitize an old building. However, as these buildings are part of the history of a city considerable thought should be given to their inherent identity value.

Attraction of private money: Private investors need a decent return on investment. As the restoration and remodeling work for the existing building will be substantial the surrounding area developments will have to offset these costs. Appropriate density, scale and easement of existing restriction are required. Economy of scale is a must.

Usable volumes/spaces: Of course the more rectangular or square building are the easier to convert them into usable different applications. The building examples above all have their own challenges, but their size will still allow innovative million dollar designs.

The closest example in Toronto is most likely the Distillery Historic District, which was converted from an industrial application to an entertainment/residential/commercial destination one with art galleries, restaurants and offices. The initiative gave a historic part of Toronto a new lease of life.

Usually the first step to see if a project is viable is the feasibility study. We would love to be part of one.

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Please, follow the links to find more information:
wobuilt.com/blog: Combining Old and New: Keeping the Neighbourhood and Community Thriving

wobuilt.com/blog: Architecture: Combining New and Old

wobuilt.com/blog: Doors Open Toronto 2011 Featuring City in Focus: Architecture + Photography

Medical Facilities - Building Image and Branding of Your Spaces

Wo-Built’s Commercial Renovation Project
Naturopathic Office: New treatment spaces
and reception area before and after renovation
2011 @ wobuilt.com

We first got interested in medical/alternative health care facilities when we were involved in designing and building a new Naturopathic office. We had lengthy discussions on what kind of image our client wanted for his practice and much of the discussions revolved around the possible growth of the practice and its implications on the design.

In the age of an alternative medicine or natural health care treatments which are not or only limitedly covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) it is important for those practitioners not only to be good at helping people but also to develop a brand and image. After all, patients can choose who they want to pay for the services.

Usually visits to a clinic are combined with a certain amount of anxiety, sometimes pain and often trepidation. From my own experience, I like to be made comfortable when I visit a health practitioner. So the reception area is key to making the first impressions: comfortable, efficient, warm and inviting, balance of prosperity and modesty and through the image should inspire confidence in the abilities of the practitioner. It should convey a sense of what the clinic has to offer and its philosophies and believes.

The reception area should be an essential part of the marketing message. Lighting and colours play a key role in conveying these emotions and impressions. So does the use of daylight. If possible, all non-treatment areas, such as waiting rooms, play areas and kid zones, and reception areas should be around the perimeter of the building to take advantage of any daylight and outside views to increase comfort.

The examination areas and their associated circulation should be designed to promote efficiency, privacy and comfort. The spaces should be inviting, but functional. In contrast to the reception area’s function of attracting patients the treatment areas reflect the expertise of the health practitioner. An important aspect of today’s health care is that treatment methods can be changed. Hence flexibility and the ability to adapt the spaces easily are key to allow for growth and multi-functionality.

Some elements which would ensure flexibility:

• Heating and Air-conditioning: the climatic environment in a clinic is important and may need several control zones to accommodate the different function in the clinic.
• Lighting and Electrical: The placement and effect of light fixtures has to be considered carefully so that patients are not subjected to glare. Electrical wiring has to be hospital grade for the examination areas and ample electrical outlets should be considered in the design phase.
• Water Requirements: Rather than having to undergo expensive renovation at a later date it may be advisable to plan for possible plumbing in treatment areas which at the start do not need any.
• Sound and Visual Privacy: It might be necessary to provide good sound insulation between treatment rooms as much as a visual barrier. But rather than using fixed drywall construction good movable sound proof partitions would allow for more flexibility. Partitions can also create interesting patterns and allow for daylight design.

Returning to the notion of brand and image for alternative medicine practitioners. The treatment environment is a reflection on the processes and practices and an integral part of the marketing to attract customers. It is important to plan and design the image and functionality of the space in great detail prior to implementation.

In our experience we look at the current requirements and the possible business growth and we design the spaces accordingly. The key is to plan for adaptability without increasing the initial capital costs. Our team of business and design consultants and qualified trades can help to develop the brand and image and then bring the project to a successful conclusion.

Martina Ernst
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build