“Washington Square Park Dental” by David Montalba (B.Arch 1996)

Nestled within the North Beach district of San Francisco, the project is located directly west of the popular Washington Square. Spatial layout and design decisions were made with the intent of maximizing and filtering natural light through the operatories, an element too often overlooked in dental offices. Semi-translucent, ‘floss’ walls filter natural light through the rooms while simultaneously protecting patient privacy.

The long, interior entry ramp is framed by a linear garden which serves as a calming visual counterpoint to the more industrial materials of steel and acrylic.  The garden continues down the length of the space to create a series of individual gardens for each of the patient operatories.  This continuation also serves to extend the spatial depth of the relatively small space.  The low planting creates a continuous horizontal plane of green which transitions vertically into the custom, perforated wall panels which serve as acoustic dampeners.  The perforated panels then transition to the beveled ceiling which looks to propel the natural light through to the patient operatories.  Throughout the space, unexpected views, sculpted with material properties and light, continually shift patients’ perceptions of what is public and what is private.

Project: Dental Office

Size: 1,900 square feet