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It’s essential that the design of your practice meets both your needs and your clients’ needs – for now, and well into the future. Not sure where to start? Here are some of the top trends shaping the design of new veterinary practices.
Waiting areas have seen a big change in recent times from a collection of simple chairs and a receptionist sectioned off behind a high counter in the corner. Much more attention is being paid to the design of this important space to ensure clients start off their vet visits in a positive way.
Waiting areas are now being designed to act more like a lobby, with more comfortable seating, refreshment stations (for both pets and their owners), and often a retail section for some idle browsing while waiting.
To reduce animal stress, some veterinary practices provide separate entrances. At Pet Wellness Veterinary Clinic the entrance for cats is on the left-hand side and the dog entrance is on the right, see below.
The trend of adding more glass can be to bring more light into the practice or a design feature of an existing building. Whatever the reason vet design trends are seeing more glass being used in veterinary hospital structures in the foyer and treatment rooms.
When used in treatment areas it allows for better monitoring of sick patients and what’s going on in every area of that room.
The reception/waiting area in a vet practice can be noisy depending on the size of the area and the number of clients at any one time. Therefore, acoustic panels in the walls between the waiting/reception areas and ward areas are a good solution to cut down on noise and distraction.
While not necessarily a new trend, maximising the use of space will always be key – who doesn’t like getting more bang for their buck? Even though you may have the room and budget to build a bigger practice, furnishing, maintaining and paying for more utilities in this larger space may put more pressure on your business in the long term. Smaller spaces can often be better – if they are designed well.
This is particularly true with consulting rooms – they don’t need to be particularly big, and you want everything to be within easy reach.
While décor featuring stark white walls and plenty of stainless steel looks nice and clean, it can also look too sterile and lack any personality. Vet practice owners are increasingly looking to appeal to the personal taste of the potential clients in the area and are designing their practices to suit.
The options are endless and will greatly vary depending on your location and surrounding demographic. Popular design trends of late include industrial (typically in urban areas), coastal chic (a fitting choice for tropical locales), and natural inspired décor (which can suit many locations and demographics).
Another way of adding personality without committing to a certain style is by adding pops of bright colour through seating and accessories that can easily be changed out if you want to update your décor.
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