Vibrant in Victoria Park
After undergoing orthodontic treatment as a child and experiencing the transformative benefits of good orthodontics, Dr Frank Furfaro knew he wanted to be an orthodontist when he was just 10 years old. When the opportunity presented itself to gain work experience with his orthodontist in Year 10, Frank knew that a career in orthodontics was the right choice.
Graduating in 2005 from the University of Western Australia, Frank worked as a general dentist for 4 years with a plan to further qualify in orthodontics. In 2012, he graduated Orthodontics from UWA and secured a position with a local orthodontic practice.
After two years, Frank felt the time was right to establish his own practice with his individual sense of style and personality.
Upon enquiring among colleagues and friends in the profession, Frank was introduced to Medifit and from the initial meetings with Medifit’s Managing Director, Sam Koranis, Frank knew that he was in good hands.
When a tenancy became available in Victoria Park (a busy entertainment and café precinct just outside the Perth CBD), the experience of the Medifit team had obvious and immediate benefits.
“Medifit provided a comprehensive service in establishing my orthodontic clinic. They assisted from day one with locating and assessing the suitability of the premises, even helping to negotiate the lease. They dealt with all necessary permits and regulations, which allowed the whole process to run very smoothly.”
Frank wanted his new practice to be bright, and free flowing with a sense of fun. It also needed to be modern and inviting, and highly productive from a day to day operational perspective. The new practice was designed to cater to all age groups, from young children through to adult professionals.
The Medifit design team responded with a vibrant, confident practice design incorporating the brand colours of yellow, white and grey. The unique colour scheme delivers a compelling visual signature and may have been wasted in the hands of a less skilled designer, however the environment created by Medifit is visually stunning. Bold design elements and colour treatments are underpinned with subtle detail for a friendly yet sophisticated look.
“Medifit were extremely thorough in the design process, providing numerous options for layout, design, features. Their attention to detail is brilliant
“The fitout went extremely smoothly, with Medifit’s production team even coming after hours and on weekends so as not to interfere with the operation of neighbouring businesses”
The result is a beautiful, contemporary orthodontic practice. With a floor area of 209m2, the space was optimised for seven chairs. Three private surgeries are located along the central corridor with four chairs sharing a future semi private treatments area. A centrally located walk though steri offers convenient access from both treatment areas. The space adjacent to the waiting room features several curved walls, echoing the circular theme in the branding and lending a softness to the practice. The waiting room is cleverly delineated by a striking floor to ceiling curved timber feature into a general waiting area and a coffee station and child nook complete with desk mounted ipads. The timber feature is visually permeable, making it easy for parents and staff to keep an eye on waiting children.
In addition to the treatment areas, the design also accommodates all of the essentials for a contemporary dental practice, a practice managers office, IT room, lab, plant room, several storage areas and a generous staff room and kitchen.
The curve motif is used throughout in the reception and floor coverings to gently reinforce the soft, sweeping flow of the practice and lead patients efficiently to the consultation and treatment suites. The deft combination of colour and earthy tones, soft curves and clean modern lines combines to create a unique and memorable practice atmosphere.
Frank is understandably pleased with the outcome.
Overall, Medifit got on and did what they do best – design and build a brilliant practice with almost no supervision from me. This allowed me to get on with my work and not have to worry about a thing regarding the fitout.