The Dumfries Dental Centre offers an innovative new approach to delivering NHS dental care. The multi-surgery dental centre was developed with full staff and patient involvement, supported by NHS Education Scotland with input from Glasgow University.
Davis Duncan (Archial) Architects were appointed and challenged with providing state of the art facilities to deliver the exciting challenges set out in the business case within the cost limit.
"...we are striving to deliver architecture that is exemplary. We are striving for a building that surpasses peoples expectations of what a dental centre should be and we hope to deliver this from our response to sustainability, which is about approach and attitude to delivering a building and which is guided by our Practice Environmental Policy.
The plan form of our building is generated out of responses to the opportunity of aspect... We believe an engagement with the landscape will have therapeutic value and a de-stressing influence (given the nature of the building function) for all. The orientation of the building allows a relationship for reduced energy usage through the implementation of passive and active methods of modifying the internal and external general and micro-climate. We intend a strategy of maximising natural daylighting and natural ventilation for the building." (Design Statement by Davis Duncan)
The imaginative and unique building incorporates modern design concepts with traditional materials and new engineering concepts. The building is attractive and distinctive and yet blends with its surroundings.
The building is designed to offer flexibility of use if the service demand changes. The surgeries are all based on the same configuration, some of the training areas are open plan and others having vision panels for supervision. However, these have all been designed in a way that would allow easy conversion to fully functioning General Practice surgeries. There is also the ability to extend the building with another wing off the central core which would allow additional clinical services to be incorporated without the need for duplication of any of the ancillary support accommodation.
The Dental Centre has a sustainable timber frame and takes its water supply from an adjacent borehole which also supplies the heat pump used to heat and cool the building. Green transport initiatives have been developed for NHS services on the site.
For further details of the project download the full case study via the link in the resources section to the right.
Awards
NHSScotland Environment, Estate and Facilities Annual Design Award 2007 - The Paul Taylor Award ‘BEST ENTRY’ 2007
Finalist of the Carbon Trust Awards 2008
Nominated for Roses Design Award 2009 - Public Building
