House of Ruya play skillfully with humble and luxurious materials to create a smart healthcare centre, infused liberally with greens.
Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Phosart Studio; courtesy House of Ruya
The site
Located in the bustling part of HSR layout in South Bengaluru, 32 Smiles Dental Clinic bears a fresh, updated and contemporary look thanks to House of Ruya. The boutique architecture and interior studio was charged with refreshing the brand in addition to uplifting the interiors as well.
The design intent
“Our design strategy was to craft a minimal, fresh, and serene environment offering an elevated dental experience and allowing its patients to feel at ease,” shares principal architect Aishwarya Govind who headed this rejuvenation exercise for the clinic chain.
The material palette
The architect wanted to elevate the existing brands’ original spaces and make them feel cohesive. The team paired local materials like sadarahalli with luxe materials like polished brass to provide a contemporary aesthetic. A common design language of grooved stone, panelled walls, dark wood flooring, brass tones, and abundant greenery characterises each space differently while providing continuity and giving the clinic a soft and domestic sensibility.
The spatial flow
The clinic has been prudently planned to prioritise functional and easy movement. Once inside, a monolithic sadarahalli granite reception desk sits in front of a warm chequered oak veneer panel welcoming patients prior to their appointments. An opulent gold-finished logo juxtaposed against the rough stone wall illustrates the material play. A small waiting area opposite the reception soothes the nerves with its blue and green tones. The rest of the clinic is partitioned into three main zones—lounge, treatment area and service area.
The dental lounge is a secondary waiting space for the next immediate patient or family assisting the patient. The treatment areas are the active nodes of the clinic. “Low ceiling heights and multiple columns posed a challenge, which was combated by raising the floor of the treatment area by four inches to create a distinction and hide service lines,” elucidates the architect. Two dental chairs were placed in the open zone, while the third enjoys a more private set-up. All three treatment areas are dotted with indoor planting, in deference to the vistas of the treetops outside. Continuing the chequered panel design from the outside to the inside, Aishwarya designed lightweight square partitions stacked one above the other in brass and fluted glass, interspersed with planter boxes. This not only serves as a divider of the open treatment areas but also functions as a focal element to anchor the space. A more robust wooden partition with a fluted glass in-fill provides privacy to the exclusive treatment area meant for children or patients who come in for longer procedures. The team designed a perforated brass metal structure in the ceiling filled with faux creepers and cove lighting, inducing a sense of nature in the private treatment area. A cobalt blue storage cabinet housing everything the dentist requires for their procedures spans the entire length of the open and private treatment area, complementing the wooden tones and green canopy on the outside.
Fact file
Project: 32 Smiles Dental Clinic
Location: Bengaluru
Area: 1,000 sq ft
Principal architect: Aishwarya Govind
Design team: Sreelakshmi Lalu, Nitra Isaac and Bhuvaneshwari Ganapathy
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