Pedra Silva Arquitectos (PSA) has completed a new project for a pioneering Portuguese dental clinic.
Located in Lisbon, Twist is the first oral care clinic in Portugal delivering Invisalign orthodontics - using advanced 3D imaging to develop unique transparent aligners tailored to individual patients, easy to place and remove.
Digital tools used for this type of treatment only require brief and usually non-invasive consultations.
PSA Founding Partner Luis Pedra Silva said the design house was challenged to develop the clinic in line with Twist’s new approach to dentistry geared towards a public ‘walk-in’ concept.
“In order to create an inviting space and encourage public flow and informal entry we decided to enhance the transparency of the facade, exposing more of the interior,” he said. “Our aim was to capture the attention of passers-by.
“The wider design layout is strongly influenced by the type of treatment taking place at Twist Oral Shapers and the idea of brief consultations, which is distinct from conventional dental clinics. The space is geared towards more informal conversations with no defined reception desk distracting from activity on the ground floor.
“Instead we developed several scattered service points, marked by different types of furniture corresponding to distinct services. These spaces have been sensitively designed with varying levels of privacy, for example, high tables for immediate appointments and acoustic furniture for meetings with patients who need more privacy along with offices for treatments and consultations.
“The main service centre, located on the ground floor, is influenced by the shape of the jaw and aligners with reference to the clinic’s key form of treatment. This includes offices, the brush program bar and sanitary facilities, which grow organically to optimise the space. The rest of the clinic, on the subterranean level, is devoted to technical space including x-ray and sterilization rooms with additional offices and storage rooms.
“We selected strong, bright, hard-edged materials including composite marble with slight pigmentations and largely white walls and ceilings to create a clean and clinical edge. A fundamental element of the design involves a vibrant blue tone applied to the main walls framed by vertical white slats. The intensity of the block blue colour is balanced by the refined white line slats which sit discreetly above. Due to their dimensions, they can be distributed over a large surface area, providing design continuity across the entire interior. in combination with bursts of watermelon red in specific elements of graphics and furniture, this concept allowed us to subtly introduce the clinic’s brand colours, injecting unique style and personality associated with freshness and a young language.”
PSA was founded in 2003 in Lisbon, Portugal, later establishing offices in Brighton, UK and Maputo, Mozambique, with a total of 16 team members from five countries. The award-winning firm has delivered dental clinic projects around the world including Care Implant Dentistry and Chatswood Diagnostic Centre in Australia, T Clinic, Mint Dentistry Clinic and ‘O Meu Dentista’ clinics in Portugal and Spain, plus Brighton Implant Clinic and Maida Smiles Dental Clinic in the UK.
“Twist was a hugely enjoyable project to be involved with because we were able to draw on our broad knowledge and experience of designing healthcare spaces around the world, play around with concepts and ideas and ultimately approach the design process from a different angle,” said Luis.
“A key reason we have been able to develop a strong niche in this sector is due to the deep understanding of technical workspaces we have developed over many years. There are many factors which must be carefully considered in live clinic environments, including careful management of space and the free-flowing movement of surgical teams and patients. Practical and ergonomic solutions for technical equipment, instruments and waste disposal are also fundamental and must work seamlessly with any design concept.”
