Montalba Architects is changing the face of healthcare with their design of Studio Dental II, a dental office located in San Francisco, California.

An ideal fusion of historic preservation, architecture and light – Located within a historic building in San Francisco’s rapidly developing Tenderloin neighborhood, Studio Dental is defined by a modern aesthetic that honors the historic elements of the building it calls home. A conceptual ‘lantern’ within the building’s core communicates a volumetric sense of scale, luminescence, and transparency to serve as the framework for a series of functional moves inside. The lantern wall panels illuminate the interior and are visually expanded through strategically positioned mirrors that glow through the glazed facade to illuminate the sidewalk beyond. By engaging the pedestrian street front, the design aims to project openness, warmth, and serenity. Furthermore by reflecting the client’s progressive practice, the design plays an active role in the revitalization of one of the city’s more troubled neighborhoods.

Function meets transparency – In lieu of a waiting room, a park-like bench runs the length of the interior while wood trellises separate the bench and procedure rooms without closing off the space. Distinct moments of material contrast are experienced in the rough shell walls, smoked mirror panels, and a stand of maple monoliths that offer storage and indicate the entry to each patient room.

Important to the AIA jury was the fact that the team carefully preserved many of the building’s original elements, including the storefront, where original glazing proportions were restored, and the original marble bulkheads. The interior mezzanine was repurposed for additional storage and staff offices.

Architect: Montalba Architects
Contractor: Build Group
Structural: Julia Y. Chen Design Inc
Lighting Designer: Sean O’Connor Lighting
M/E/P: ACIES Engineering
Photography: Kevin Scott