BOX Studios completed the design for Riverwalk Dental located in the business district of downtown Naperville, Illinois.

Riverwalk Dental’s new space is a dynamic blend of modern and traditional styles. Surrounded by other pitched-roof homes retrofitted into businesses, the office is a showstopper in the historic residential-turned-commercial community.

A high-profile corner lot presented the opportunity to create a striking entry. Corner glass and a grandiose black metal cantilevered canopy support a refined and classy greeting as visitors step inside. The corner location also proved challenging, however, as usable space became limited after setbacks and parking needs were accounted for, and fire safety requirements restricted where to build. BOX’s highly efficient space planning practices resulted in double the treatment rooms of Riverwalk Dental’s former office, in a space only slightly larger in square footage.

Differing aesthetic tastes between the two doctors, as well as city design guidelines, lead to BOX’s clever juxtaposition of otherwise opposing themes. Modern elements are cunningly snuck into the traditional design through color, detail, and materials.

On the exterior, black shingles and white fiber cement siding are accented with black metal windows lending to a modern feel. Natural stone adds warmth and connects the building to its contextual history. Intersecting masses are cloaked in traditional residential materials, yet dramatically defined with geometric shifts in direction and detail. Harking back to the town’s farming and agricultural history, the simple forms rejuvenate an architectural style accustomed to by local residents, seamlessly connecting the time honored architectural tradition to the present.

Contemporary and traditional aesthetics are unified in the interior by mixing a light, neutral color palette with boldly dark accents. Black light fixtures and trim, and a walnut-stained sculptural staircase centerpiece are energetic and eye-catching against their calm surroundings. Patients enter at ease, feeling an air of class and luxury, and leave feeling positive and comfortable about their visit.

Architect: BOX Studios
Contractor: Kattara Construction
Photography: James John Jetel