Elite Fitout recently completed work on a 3-stage refurbishment of an existing veterinary clinic while the business continued to trade in Moe, Victoria. The vision for the project was to improve workflow and visibility throughout the clinic in order to better service their clients and their pets.
The Moe Veterinary Centre is a veterinary practice who places value on the support and patronage of their community. In addition to providing veterinary and grooming services, the vet clinic also sell a range of nutritional and general healthcare products for pets, farm animals and horses.
History
Moe Vet started as a small animal clinic run out of a garage by Dr Donald Dick who was sponsored by the Moe Cooperative Dairy in the 1950s. In addition to their dairy work they ran the small clinic in Fowler Street, Moe. There were many owners who contributed to the rich history of the veterinary centre.
In February 2019, the veterinary centre was purchased by the current owner Dr Laura Thorbecke. At the time of purchasing the clinic, Laura had been working as a veterinarian at Moe Veterinary Centre for 2 ½ years.
The clinic on Lloyd Street in Moe has been in its original condition since 1995. It has seen much growth and development to offer a broader range of services, so a project plan was formed to completely modernise the clinic.
Project Plan
The project plan included the expansion of the clinic’s consulting space, doubling the surgery space, new cat and dog wards, an enlarged waiting room, and a complete overhaul of all clinic areas to a gold standard hospital level.
Staged Construction
Due to the extensive reconfiguration work required, the best way to complete the project – and ensure the clinic could continue to function – was to work to a staged program plan.
Stage 1
The clinic theatre area was given a complete overhaul doubling the space available and modernising it to allow for two surgery tables and a dedicated steri area, including a pass thru arrangement between the two spaces. A 5-seat vet office was added to the clinic which features a skylight and brings in an abundance of natural light. The facility upgrade also included a new staff room for the clinic’s 20 staff members, plus an ensuite, storage and locker room and disabled toilet.
The initial stage was focused on adding facilities into underutilised areas to create space for the relocation of clinical activities in preparation for stage 2.
Stage 2
This stage centered around extending and reconfiguring the core clinical areas of the clinic, including the treatment and preparation areas. Work was undertaken to add two consult rooms as well as the reconfiguration and refurbishment of the two existing consult rooms. A new lab dental areas, storage, grooming, recovery, laundry and animal runs were also added during this stage.
Stage 3
The final stage included the addition of a retail and puppy school area and the refurbishment of the reception and waiting area. A large animal storage and equipment wash down area was also added, along with the conversion of old storage space into locum accommodation and a living area. Some of this work was undertaken out of office hours to lessen noise and business interruption.
The refurbished clinic now features separate cat and dog waiting areas on either side of the reception desk, as well as dedicated cat and dog consult rooms. The newly completed project also includes customised areas to previously shared-spaces for the pharmacy, recovery, laundry area and dental lab area. Brand new additions to the clinic include a retail/puppy school area, vets office, lockers and storage, dog runs.
Design
It’s an interesting and challenging task when confronted with a large scale but ineffective clinic layout. The client’s brief was to modernise, open up and unlock the underutilised spaces, while allowing the clinic to continue to trade throughout construction. In designing the refurbished clinic, many areas of the building needed to be reconfigured to create a layout that was efficient and effective.
To help modernise the clinic interior, lots of natural light was introduced through the use of skylights. A light colour palette also features throughout the clinic, including warm white wall paint, natural oak wood cabinetry, sand-coloured vinyl flooring.
Contact Us
Thinking about refurbishing your existing vet practice or opening a new clinic? Call us on 1300 765 344 to discuss your plans.
- Category :
- Type :
