Embracing The Change

by South Manitoba Orthodontics

Dr. Ines Guedes is a certified orthodontic specialist from Manitoba. Her first office is located in the Pembina Valley region of the province, in the city of Morden. After a few years of practice, she decided to expand into a second location in Winnipeg. From the very start it was her wish to design a space that was not quite a traditional orthodontic office. It was important for her to build a new practice that would appeal to both young and adult patients, as she provides treatment to both demographics.

office design

The search for the ideal location in the city was extensive and a great spot was chosen in the Island Lakes neighborhood in the southeast side of the city. With a lot of natural light, and essentially a blank canvas, this space allowed many possibilities for a creative and functional design.

office design

The mood board for this project started from the doctor’s desire to have a dental office that didn’t quite look like the regular intimidating dentist office most patients are used to (and dread going to)! She wanted to incorporate unexpected and fun details, and a mid-century modern aesthetic throughout. Dr. Guedes’ inspiration came from diverse dental and non-dental places, such as her godmother’s mid-century architecture in her house; details gathered during time abroad in Berlin, Reykjavik and western Switzerland; the cool Brooklyn dental practice of Dr. Jennifer Plotnick; and the bright and clean space of a trendy local bakery. This broad and unexpected mix of references was welcomed with open arms by Doug Lennox from DP Design and Rick Krezanski from Hedman Construction.

office design

Doug, Rick and Dr. Guedes worked collaboratively to bring trick details to life, such as the “sideways” herringbone flooring with different colours of planks, the arched bookshelf, and the tiled backdrop in the reception area. The space was kept as open as possible with high ceilings, mostly white walls, and a couple of walls that incorporated geometric wall painting in grey tones. The clinical area chairs face big windows with natural light and separated by glass partitions for patient privacy. Wooden benches with comfortable pillows were added to allow for parents to participate in their children’s appointments if desired. The millwork was designed in an unexpected white and blush asymmetric combo matching the flooring colours. The local dental supply company, Central Dental Solutions, provided the state-of-the-art sterilization room, equipment and cone-beam CT scan machine.

office design

The general decorations were picked overtime. Dr. Guedes used the components and colours of the practice logo to select the furniture and other décor details. The furniture was mostly vintage and purchased from local mid-century modern antique shop Apartment 521. Many plants and greenery were a must to keep the space fresh and welcoming, with special attention to the framed dehydrated moss feature located behind the reception desk, created by Urban Jungle Landscaping.

office design

The consultation room was envisioned to not have a desk separating the doctor from the patient and parents, as well as a comfortable “non-dental” chair for the initial clinical exams, with the intent of keeping the first visit the most welcoming and as non-intimidating as possible. And finally, a cute and colourful “candy bar” was added to celebrate the day the patients’ braces are removed.

South Manitoba Orthodontics

The practice was designed very thoughtfully with bright, practical and modern components in mind. The biggest goal was to bring to life an office where patients and their families felt comfortable and welcomed – as if they were in a good friend’s home.

South Manitoba Orthodontics

Equipment: Central Dental Solutions
Designed by: DP Pauls and Dr. Inês Guedes
Logo: Studio NE arquitetos
Construction: Hedman Construction
Photography: Steve Hiebert


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