THE WHY: Owner’s story
Dr. Dac Nguyen is the owner and principal dentist at Clinique Dac located in the heart of Westmount Quebec, an affluent city that lies on the western slopes of Mount Royal, on the beautiful island of Montreal. This boutique practice has been serving great dentistry to its community for almost 50 years. Dr. Nguyen transitioned into sole ownership in 2019, at which time they began exploring opportunities for relocating into a newly designed, state-of-the-art facility. He wanted to design a space that would feel more spacious and flow more effectively while empowering their team to serve broader dental services and even more enjoyable healthcare experiences to their patients. It turns out Dr. Dac is also quite a talented gourmet chef who loves to bring communities together around the enjoyment of fine cuisine. This required the design of a state-of-the-art kitchen as well as a comfortable lounge for hosting visitors and dental education events. His social heart seeks out every opportunity to serve delicious, exquisitely made culinary dishes to guests, patients and team members alike.
THE HOW: Planning & preparation
The final inspiration for relocating was triggered by recurring leaking pipes and flooding caused by old plumbing in their previous location. This had become a growing concern and costly disruption to daily operations. While searching for a suitable new location, their landlord proposed that a 7800sq/ft space on half the 5th floor of their office building was opening up twofloors above with a full scenic view of the landscape overlooking the neighbouring buildings. This posed an exciting opportunity for fresh new plumbing as well as for a beautiful expansion and redesign of their practice’s look, feel and layout for future growth.
THE RESULTS: Technical design features
The newly built office is U-shaped. It has 10 large, spacious operatories with floor-to-ceiling windows and extra wide hallways with glass features that allow natural light and a grand feeling of openness to permeate throughout the entire practice. Each operatory is a dual entry design with stylish, traditional wood-finished floor-to-ceiling sliding doors on one end, and large black-trimmed glass doors on the other end for easy workflow access. The large reception area provides patients with a beautiful refreshment bar and an inviting glass-faced mini-fridge for guests who wish to arrive early to enjoy the comfortable, brightly lit reception lounge. Large light and dark contrasting marble floor tiles flow seamlessly thorough the space with elegant floor-to-ceiling black-trimmed glass partitions allowing visibility into the sterilization and digital technology areas.
THE IMPACT: Empowered practice outcomes
The overall vibe is a perfect harmony between beauty, flow and function. It was truly a whole team effort that has turned this dream into a reality. Patients are thrilled to be served in their new dental home and are often commenting, “You should have done this sooner!” The entire team now enjoys serving patients with an even greater sense of pride that comes from working in an environment that fully represents and empowers the high-quality dental healthcare they provide. Clinique Dac prides itself on being a place where dentistry, artistry and care collide. The icing on the cake is being able to serve tasty dishes and share culinary experiences with their guests in a communal space for growing healthcare relationships.
Equipment Supplier: Patterson Dental
Construction: Derrig Talbot
About the Authors
Darcie is co-founder of Bella Vita Designs Inc; an interior design company specializing in creating beautiful functional spaces for start-ups, remodeling, expanding or relocating your dream practice. To have your proud story and unique office design featured she can be reached at darcie@bellavitadesigns.ca / IG @bellavitadesignsinc / 905-716-8528.
Peter is Founder of Practice Mastery Inc, a Team Development Coaching company that serves the growth and development needs of your practice. He provides customized group and one on-one “Success Training” to dental professionals and industry companies across N. America. IG @peterbarrycoach, peter@practicemastery.com, www.practicemastery.com, or 416.568.5456.
