Healthcare Practice Design: Incorporating Natural Light

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Medical practice waiting room with large windows flooding the room with natural light

Natural light has been shown to have a beneficial effect on staff and clients alike, with research showing that it can have a positive impact on wellness and productivity. Benefits aside, flooding your healthcare clinic with natural light also looks great – so it makes sense to incorporate large glass windows and doors in your practice design wherever possible.

Medical practice reception with large windows, flooding the room with natural light

Design Impact

Natural light streaming through large windows can help to create a balance between openness and privacy in your practice.  Consider investing in large fixed, sliding and awning windows to bring a warm, welcoming feel to your reception and waiting area – as evidenced in this fitout project for Reedy Creek Vet Clinic. A view of greenery or an interesting streetscape outside can also help to lift people’s mood while waiting for their appointment. 

Veterinary practice waiting room with extensive windows letting in a large amount of natural light

If natural light is not possible due to the configuration or location of your practice, skylights and internal windows are another way to bring light in.  Skylights can be great design features and can offer may of the same benefits as natural light. They are often used in dental or medical treatment areas, including in this design and fitout project at Chelmer Dental.

Dental surgery with decorative skylight above dental chair

Privacy

One clever compromise is to use frosting on your internal or external windows. Frosted windows allows natural light to enter a room, but diffuses the light to protect patient privacy.   This fresh, clean look is functional and stylish – as seen below in Berkeley Medical’s treatment room.

Medical centre treatment room with frosted glass windows and door to provide privacy for patients

Temperature Management

Most people think that having lots of windows means you will have to deal with heat loss or heat gain – depending on your local weather conditions.  However, there are many different types of windows that you can consider for your healthcare practice.

Double-glazed windows insulate your practice from the outside environment, resulting in reduced heat loss and gain.   When it is warm outside, they keep the heat out.  When it is cooler, they keep the heat in.  

This ensures your practice is more comfortable, with the added bonus of energy savings.  

Additional reading:   Also see our blog on re-imagining glass in your healthcare practice fitout

Signage

External windows are ideal for featuring your practice branding using signage and decals. This allows you to reinforce your brand identity throughout the clinic, without taking up wall space – all the while letting more natural light into your premises.

Window signage is prominently displayed on the entry windows at Pure Dentistry.  The practice’s branding is clearly displayed across multiple windows and doors.

Dental practice exterior windows with extensive signage

Learn More

If you’re thinking about bringing more light into your healthcare practice, it’s worth seeing what other practices have done.

Check out our gallery to see examples of projects that Elite Fitout Solutions has completed across Australia.

You can also call us today to discuss your upcoming project.

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