Dentist Wins Top Architecture Award
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CONTACT: Katherine Gaskins [email protected]
DENTIST BRINGS KNOWLEDGE TO FRUITION, WINS TOP ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AWARD
Evidence-based Design Helps Port City Dental Center’s Dr. Tristan Hamilton Land “Best Overall” from Benco Dental Incisal Edge Magazine, for his Design of his Dental Office
Wilmington (NC) 12-Feb-2012... Chosen from hundreds of national nominees for exemplary dental office design, PORT CITY DENTAL CENTER'S Tristan Hamilton received the top honor, Best Overall Design for Dental Offices in America , in an inaugural competition by Benco Dental’s Incisal Edge magazine <http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/68b45a23#/68b45a23/58>. The design— smoked 14’ ceilings; curvilinear, serpentine walls; soft iridescent blue walls; the use of natural materials, such as woods & fabric rather than tiles & plastic; & soft, full-spectrum lights—was research-supported but driven by Hamilton’s desire to relax his patients, personalize the experience & free it of fear & anxiety. The regulation of human homeostasis & metabolism are intimately tied to the environment. Research in the fields of environmental psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, & epigenetics shows that characteristics of physical environments in which patients receive care directly affect patient outcomes. For example, art & aesthetics enhance soothing & calming qualities of a space; visual cues, such as windows & views to outside the building, reduce fear & hysteria by orienting patients; natural daylighting supports circadium rhythms & promotes specific physiological processes, such as anti-inflammatory cell responses to trauma, modulation of protein & enzyme activity, & cell regeneration. “My interests are just making people happy,” he says. “We try to bring something more than just dentistry to my office.” <http://www.portcitysmiles.com>
“I wanted to make this look nothing like a dental office,” he said. “I wanted to remind my patients of nothing like the white, dreary sterile offices of 20 to 30 years ago. Instead, I wanted it to feel more like a spa.”
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Hamilton, 33, was graduated with a Master’s Degree in 2003 from Andrews University School of Architecture. He practiced architecture for 5 years, working on notable projects, such as the revitalization of Las Vegas master plan, The Saipan Embassy in Washington, DC, & the 40-year master growth plan for Vanderbilt University. Despite rapid success, he says he felt dissatisfied. He took a month off & joined a medical mission to Kafue, Zambia, where he provided medical care to more than 90 women & children. “You learn by fire,” he said. “It really opened my eyes. I hadn’t even taken a blood pressure before, but, quickly, I was giving injections, doing prenatal exams. It made me realize that I couldn’t continue what I was doing.” When Hamilton returned, “All of the doors opened to dentistry.” In 2009, he was graduated from the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. While working on an admissions committee, he interviewed a candidate who told him about a dentist in Wilmington, NC, who was looking for recent graduates. After only a 15-minute phone interview, he was asked to join one of Dr. Misael Otero’s practices. Soon thereafter, Hamilton began scouting the area, to build a practice he had envisioned for years. He found a building with 3,600 sq. ft., formerly used as a haunted house by the high schools, located on one of the busiest intersections in Wilmington. The sensory, physical, & emotional experience is often what impacts people the most in a medical or therapeutic environment, including odors, sounds, lights, & temperature. So, combining research-driven findings for maximizing environmental therapeutic benefits with his architectural vision & expertise, Hamilton drew up a ‘whole building’ design concept. “I
actually did my dental research on alleviating patient fear through the design of the dental office,” he said. “Most students do ‘the art of decay’ or ‘toothpaste that makes teeth white’, but we developed a thesis that by creating key elements within the design, you can eliminate a portion of dental phobia. For example, I chose light blue for the walls because it was found to have the most calming effect on patients.
“We completely gutted the building. We wanted to keep a lot of the features the building had to offer, the inner open feeling,” he says. “We kept the ceilings high, with an exposed ventilation system, like a modern loft, & smoked them. Patients really love the feel. Drop ceilings really close the environment, make you feel claustrophobic,” he said. “The curvilinear walls in the entryway eliminate the harsh feel of angles. Harsh angles make for harsh spaces,” he said. “The entryway immediately helps alleviate fear. “By using wood, plants, & living room furniture in the entryway, we made the space feel homey rather than like a lobby. We purchased local wood stumps & had them debarked & polyurethaned by a local guy & used them as tables. Kids love to climb on them! And, the warm tones in the wood help create a homey feeling. “Lighting was an important consideration & has a very profound effect. European & Swedish studies have shown that replacing florescent with full-spectrum lights reduces absenteeism by more than 40%,” he said. To counteract the detrimental effects of light, Germany has outlawed the use of cool-white
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florescent lighting in hospitals & medical settings. And, even the U.S. regulates that windows must be included in hospital rooms where patients stay for more than 23 hours. Lighting also came together with another design feature of the office as gallery. “A lot of the ideas I did were created out of function. Because of the space we were given, the placement of operatories opposite each other along a corridor created the feeling of a long & narrow hallway. I put storage bays down the center, so each assistant doesn’t have to go back to a far corner to get supplies. This creates less inefficiency & a feeling of cohesiveness. But, since it is linear in nature, it also created a “hallway” or “galley” feel & I didn’t want that. “To mitigate this feeling, I mounted picture rails 8 ft. up & mounted LED lights to illuminate art, to create a gallery feeling, when patients look up.”
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“Another thing that bothered me, people are always told, ‘Go to Op 1’ or ‘Go to Room 2’. Each one of our operatories is about the Port City. “We’ve taken the streets of Wilmington & named each operatory after a street, in the geographically correct order—so you have Orange, Ann, Nun—to indicate that this is all about the Port City & the people of the Port City. “And, the doors to each operatory, people are enamored of the doors. The doors were sliding barn doors into the center of which we’ve installed frosted glass panes & the name of each suite—Orange Suite, Ann Suite, Nun Suite. We’ve had lots of contractors request walk-throughs, just to see the doors!” Says, Adams Southeastern Construction <http://adamssec.com/default.htm> owner, Trace Adams, “Dr. Hamilton had one of the most detailed visions for the construction of his practice that I’ve ever worked with. When a client can visualize and communicate their thoughts for the finished product, it makes our job as a custom commercial builder that much easier. Because of his precise vision, we were able to keep design costs low and work with Dr. Hamilton on the trim profiles, ‘barn’ doors, radiusbrushed acrylic wall and the finishes in the field.” “Another special thing—the serpentine chalk wall— is so much fun!” declares Hamilton.
“Everyone who comes here is in awe of what people can do with chalk. Initially, I envisioned children using the chalk wall, but eventually I depicted the waterfront along Downtown Wilmington. The chalk wall can be seen from the street, so we night-light it & use it for night-time marketing, “Appointments Available”, “We Accept All Insurances”, that sort of thing.” “I really enjoy serving people. I could have gone into a dental specialty, but I wouldn’t have a chance to have relationships with my patients, you don’t get the chance to see their kids grow up, Grandkids, 4 of 5
cousins. I love really being able to get to know people. We always try to bring more than just dentistry to my office. We always look to see how we can help somebody out, emotionally, physically, spiritually. In this office, our philosophy is, We combine soothing aesthetics with gentle care to alleviate patients’ fear of visiting the dentist. And, in this spirit, Dr. Otero contributed to the design & remains a mentor & a friend.” Photographs by Forbes Photographer Matthew Furman for Benco Dental Incisal Edge magazine. Incisal Edge is a quarterly publication of Benco Dental, the largest privately owned, full-service distributor of dental supplies, dental equipment, dental consulting & equipment services in the United States. ### For more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Dr. Hamilton, please call (910) 399-1127.
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CONTACT: Katherine Gaskins [email protected]
DENTIST BRINGS KNOWLEDGE TO FRUITION, WINS TOP ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AWARD
Evidence-based Design Helps Port City Dental Center’s Dr. Tristan Hamilton Land “Best Overall” from Benco Dental Incisal Edge Magazine, for his Design of his Dental Office
Wilmington (NC) 12-Feb-2012... Chosen from hundreds of national nominees for exemplary dental office design, PORT CITY DENTAL CENTER'S Tristan Hamilton received the top honor, Best Overall Design for Dental Offices in America , in an inaugural competition by Benco Dental’s Incisal Edge magazine <http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/68b45a23#/68b45a23/58>. The design— smoked 14’ ceilings; curvilinear, serpentine walls; soft iridescent blue walls; the use of natural materials, such as woods & fabric rather than tiles & plastic; & soft, full-spectrum lights—was research-supported but driven by Hamilton’s desire to relax his patients, personalize the experience & free it of fear & anxiety. The regulation of human homeostasis & metabolism are intimately tied to the environment. Research in the fields of environmental psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, & epigenetics shows that characteristics of physical environments in which patients receive care directly affect patient outcomes. For example, art & aesthetics enhance soothing & calming qualities of a space; visual cues, such as windows & views to outside the building, reduce fear & hysteria by orienting patients; natural daylighting supports circadium rhythms & promotes specific physiological processes, such as anti-inflammatory cell responses to trauma, modulation of protein & enzyme activity, & cell regeneration. “My interests are just making people happy,” he says. “We try to bring something more than just dentistry to my office.” <http://www.portcitysmiles.com>
“I wanted to make this look nothing like a dental office,” he said. “I wanted to remind my patients of nothing like the white, dreary sterile offices of 20 to 30 years ago. Instead, I wanted it to feel more like a spa.”
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Hamilton, 33, was graduated with a Master’s Degree in 2003 from Andrews University School of Architecture. He practiced architecture for 5 years, working on notable projects, such as the revitalization of Las Vegas master plan, The Saipan Embassy in Washington, DC, & the 40-year master growth plan for Vanderbilt University. Despite rapid success, he says he felt dissatisfied. He took a month off & joined a medical mission to Kafue, Zambia, where he provided medical care to more than 90 women & children. “You learn by fire,” he said. “It really opened my eyes. I hadn’t even taken a blood pressure before, but, quickly, I was giving injections, doing prenatal exams. It made me realize that I couldn’t continue what I was doing.” When Hamilton returned, “All of the doors opened to dentistry.” In 2009, he was graduated from the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. While working on an admissions committee, he interviewed a candidate who told him about a dentist in Wilmington, NC, who was looking for recent graduates. After only a 15-minute phone interview, he was asked to join one of Dr. Misael Otero’s practices. Soon thereafter, Hamilton began scouting the area, to build a practice he had envisioned for years. He found a building with 3,600 sq. ft., formerly used as a haunted house by the high schools, located on one of the busiest intersections in Wilmington. The sensory, physical, & emotional experience is often what impacts people the most in a medical or therapeutic environment, including odors, sounds, lights, & temperature. So, combining research-driven findings for maximizing environmental therapeutic benefits with his architectural vision & expertise, Hamilton drew up a ‘whole building’ design concept. “I
actually did my dental research on alleviating patient fear through the design of the dental office,” he said. “Most students do ‘the art of decay’ or ‘toothpaste that makes teeth white’, but we developed a thesis that by creating key elements within the design, you can eliminate a portion of dental phobia. For example, I chose light blue for the walls because it was found to have the most calming effect on patients.
“We completely gutted the building. We wanted to keep a lot of the features the building had to offer, the inner open feeling,” he says. “We kept the ceilings high, with an exposed ventilation system, like a modern loft, & smoked them. Patients really love the feel. Drop ceilings really close the environment, make you feel claustrophobic,” he said. “The curvilinear walls in the entryway eliminate the harsh feel of angles. Harsh angles make for harsh spaces,” he said. “The entryway immediately helps alleviate fear. “By using wood, plants, & living room furniture in the entryway, we made the space feel homey rather than like a lobby. We purchased local wood stumps & had them debarked & polyurethaned by a local guy & used them as tables. Kids love to climb on them! And, the warm tones in the wood help create a homey feeling. “Lighting was an important consideration & has a very profound effect. European & Swedish studies have shown that replacing florescent with full-spectrum lights reduces absenteeism by more than 40%,” he said. To counteract the detrimental effects of light, Germany has outlawed the use of cool-white
2 of 5
florescent lighting in hospitals & medical settings. And, even the U.S. regulates that windows must be included in hospital rooms where patients stay for more than 23 hours. Lighting also came together with another design feature of the office as gallery. “A lot of the ideas I did were created out of function. Because of the space we were given, the placement of operatories opposite each other along a corridor created the feeling of a long & narrow hallway. I put storage bays down the center, so each assistant doesn’t have to go back to a far corner to get supplies. This creates less inefficiency & a feeling of cohesiveness. But, since it is linear in nature, it also created a “hallway” or “galley” feel & I didn’t want that. “To mitigate this feeling, I mounted picture rails 8 ft. up & mounted LED lights to illuminate art, to create a gallery feeling, when patients look up.”
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“Another thing that bothered me, people are always told, ‘Go to Op 1’ or ‘Go to Room 2’. Each one of our operatories is about the Port City. “We’ve taken the streets of Wilmington & named each operatory after a street, in the geographically correct order—so you have Orange, Ann, Nun—to indicate that this is all about the Port City & the people of the Port City. “And, the doors to each operatory, people are enamored of the doors. The doors were sliding barn doors into the center of which we’ve installed frosted glass panes & the name of each suite—Orange Suite, Ann Suite, Nun Suite. We’ve had lots of contractors request walk-throughs, just to see the doors!” Says, Adams Southeastern Construction <http://adamssec.com/default.htm> owner, Trace Adams, “Dr. Hamilton had one of the most detailed visions for the construction of his practice that I’ve ever worked with. When a client can visualize and communicate their thoughts for the finished product, it makes our job as a custom commercial builder that much easier. Because of his precise vision, we were able to keep design costs low and work with Dr. Hamilton on the trim profiles, ‘barn’ doors, radiusbrushed acrylic wall and the finishes in the field.” “Another special thing—the serpentine chalk wall— is so much fun!” declares Hamilton.
“Everyone who comes here is in awe of what people can do with chalk. Initially, I envisioned children using the chalk wall, but eventually I depicted the waterfront along Downtown Wilmington. The chalk wall can be seen from the street, so we night-light it & use it for night-time marketing, “Appointments Available”, “We Accept All Insurances”, that sort of thing.” “I really enjoy serving people. I could have gone into a dental specialty, but I wouldn’t have a chance to have relationships with my patients, you don’t get the chance to see their kids grow up, Grandkids, 4 of 5
cousins. I love really being able to get to know people. We always try to bring more than just dentistry to my office. We always look to see how we can help somebody out, emotionally, physically, spiritually. In this office, our philosophy is, We combine soothing aesthetics with gentle care to alleviate patients’ fear of visiting the dentist. And, in this spirit, Dr. Otero contributed to the design & remains a mentor & a friend.” Photographs by Forbes Photographer Matthew Furman for Benco Dental Incisal Edge magazine. Incisal Edge is a quarterly publication of Benco Dental, the largest privately owned, full-service distributor of dental supplies, dental equipment, dental consulting & equipment services in the United States. ### For more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Dr. Hamilton, please call (910) 399-1127.
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