This is a renovation project for a dermatology clinic occupying one floor of a building in Osaka.

The client requested our design services, motivated by the desire to enhance patient satisfaction through renovations, following the formal succession of the clinic from the previous owner.

Requests from the client, the doctor, and staff included:

・Protecting privacy in examination rooms.

・Improving overcrowding issues.

・Create a comfortable space to reduce waiting times.

・Design traffic flow to prevent patient interactions while allowing flexible chart transfer from reception to examination rooms.

・Add rooms to accommodate future treatment additions.

For the traffic flow, we proposed a looping plan: waiting room → examination room → treatment room → hallway back to waiting room.

The reception desk was placed between the waiting room and examination rooms to protect privacy, ensuring the examination rooms are not directly visible from the waiting area.

Each examination room has an exit opposite the entrance, allowing immediate access to the treatment room.

Patients returning from treatment use the hallway outside the examination rooms to return to the waiting area.

Given the dermatology setting, the waiting room aims for a calm atmosphere without excessive brightness.

Panels were installed in front of the windows, each at different angles to allow indirect light from various directions.

Considering patients' preference to avoid facing each other,

sofas were arranged along walls and counters created to form seating areas facing the walls, preventing direct eye contact.

For the ceiling, we cut particle board into squares with a texture resembling skin and arranged them.

We felt that neatly aligned lighting would reinforce the feeling of being in a hospital,

so we deliberately placed downlights randomly in the center of the particle board panels.

We hope this space provides a reassuring and calming environment for those coming in for treatment.