JBH Transforms a Hair Salon to a Clinic for Pelvicare
JBH Refurbishments was introduced to the founder and practitioner of Pelvicare – a physiotherapy practice devoted to empowering women – at a time when the company was looking to grow and move away from their existing premises.
Pelvicare had secured a new property in Greenwich, London, which had previously been used as a hairdressing salon. They needed our help to convert it into a welcoming clinic for women, as well as creating additional rentable spaces for likeminded businesses.
Supporting businesses, like Pelvicare, at a time of pivotal change and growth is one of the most rewarding aspects of our job. Therefore, we were delighted to deliver a turnkey clinical fit out, complete with layout alterations and design that met their needs and the requirements of a healthcare setting.
The Brief
Our brief for the Pelvicare clinical fit out was to:
Transform the interior from a hairdressing salon to a professional treatment clinic.
Create a new layout that incorporated: three treatment rooms, a small tea point, and a welcoming entrance with seating.
Upgrade the existing washroom and fit baby change facilities.
Integrate the existing plant room within the layout.
Fit basins in each treatment room.
Adhere to building control requirements for a health setting.
Creating the Layout for the Clinical Fit Out
When it came to creating the design and layout for this clinical fit out, we had three main objectives:
Maximise the usable space.
Ensure the three treatment rooms were a sufficient size for the specialist equipment and offered storage.
Provide a central corridor that could accommodate a pushchair or wheelchair.
To achieve a layout that offered a seamless flow throughout the building, we had to carefully plan a layout that provided the designated zones within a relatively compact space, while adhering to strict building regulations for a healthcare setting.
After much deliberation, we agreed on a new layout that worked around the existing plant room and washroom. It incorporated all of the following areas:
One larger treatment room for Pelvicare
Two smaller treatment rooms to rent
A wide corridor with small tea point
Reception
Washroom
Plantroom
The Pelvicare treatment room needed to be large enough to accommodate their specialist treatment chair, storage cabinets and basin, as well as providing enough floorspace for moving around the room.
For the additional treatment rooms, we divided the area to ensure there was enough space for a treatment bed/chair, equipment and storage.
Partitions
The interior layout was divided using fire-rated partitions with acoustic properties to ensure the privacy and safety of the clientele. Although it wasn’t necessary to fit fire rated partition walls, it was a precautionary measure to safeguard the residential flats above the clinic.
Plumbing
In each of the treatment rooms, we needed to install a single wash basins. But with no existing plumbing in place, we made the decision to run pipework around the perimeter of the property. Where possible, we aimed to implement the existing plumbing and fixtures to stretch the budget and reduce unnecessary waste.
For aesthetics, we discretely boxed in the pipework at mid-wall-height.
Glazing
The two rentable treatment rooms both featured external windows which provided an abundance of natural light. But, on the other side of the building, the Pelvicare treatment room was centrally located between the reception and plant room, which meant there was no access to natural light. Therefore, it was decided that we would fit a high-level window within the partitioned wall that looked out on to the reception and main shop front.
Design and Finishing Touches
When it came to the design, our approach to the decor was not purely for aesthetics; to comply with building control for a health setting, we had to make allowances for the visually impaired. This involved providing a clear definition between the walkways, doorways and walls. Therefore, we took the opportunity to incorporate Pelvicare’s turquoise brand hues by coupling the contrasting white walls with turquoise doorframes and skirting boards. We also used the turquoise shade as feature walls in the treatment rooms.
Lighting played a significant part in creating the clinic’s bright and airy feel. To achieve an even and natural light throughout clinical fit out, we installed LED square halo lights that sit flush within the suspended ceiling.
Bringing some warmth to the interior design, we fitted oak effect flooring, oak worktops and shelving in the tea point area.
In the entrance, we installed an oak slat wall, which is offset by two plush velvet chairs in reception, which provide a warm and welcoming space for clients.
Finally, we updated the existing washroom décor, installed ventilation and fitted a baby change for Pelvicare’s target clientele, who are mostly mothers with small children.
Necessary Building Control Measures for a Clinical Fit Out
For a health setting, there were several measures that we had to take to adhere to building control. These included:
Distinguished skirting boards and door frames for the visually impaired using contrasting paint colours.
Fire alarm installation. This was especially important, to safeguard the residential flats above the Pelvicare property.
Ventilation in every room. We installed an air handling unit in the plant room and fitted small vents in each room, which are programmed to run during the working week for optimum energy efficiency.
Final Thoughts
It was a pleasure to transform this once tired hairdressing salon into a light and spacious clinical fit out for Pelvicare and its tenants.
Pelvicare has since opened its clinic and is better placed to provide its specialist physiotherapy services for women.
Integrating employee feedback into Kent and London office design plans can lead to an office designed to enhance staff engagment, productivity, health and wellbeing.
