All buildings great and small
Whether you’re looking to renovate a small one consultation room practice or build a new sixteen consult referral hospital, we can help. We have experience in designing general practice, referral, equine, and emergency care centres.
Working closely with our veterinary clients we have built up a huge amount of knowledge of what vets and their teams like and dislike within their practices.
We have worked alongside the myriad of industry and hospital standards, creating our way of working which includes and often exceeds many of the standards recommended by industry bodies such as the Royal Veterinary College and The International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM). We have worked with the ISFM with regards to their International Cat Care Gold Standard accreditations and encompass their standards in many of our veterinary designs, wherever they can be afforded.
Working with colleagues and professionals across the industry means that we’re able to not only draw from our own experience, but also that of others, and consider new learnings and developments which have an influence on the building design.
One example of this is in relation to veterinary behaviour, which the design of your practice or animal care facility can have a massive influence on. To help us improve our understanding in this area, we’ve recently started working with Dr Sagi Denenberg, one of the few Veterinary Behaviour Specialists in the UK. Dr Denenberg has a keen interest in improving practice design to help create a stress-free place for the animals, and together we’re working to ensure that the latest evidence is incorporated into our building designs to ensure a stress-free environment for the animals.
Having worked in Europe we also combine and use European design features and standards within our designs, which often complement our own, to ultimately design a practice that is truly unique.
Receptions and Waiting Rooms
This is essentially your shop front and we work with you to help this reflect your brand & vision.
A well designed reception desk can make the work of your team much easier and we have results from countless projects that have helped us recognise all the potential pitfalls and all the areas where this area can be improved. The result is a better experience for staff and clients.
We also understand the importance of creating a stress free environment for your clients and patients, from the moment they walk in. The waiting room isn’t just for waiting – it can help you educate your clients about their pet’s health and increase awareness of products and services. We can design to accommodate all your needs.
Consultation Rooms
With every project we complete we gain a better insight into what practices need from this important space. Our focus is on creating a great working environment, providing the room you need to attend to patients of all shapes and sizes.
We also pride ourselves in understanding the philosophy behind the positioning of the vet, i.e. enabling you to keep eye contact with your client, but also allowing the space for your clients and their animals to move around and feel relaxed.
Prep Area
The Prep Area tends to be the central hub for most practices and hospitals. Where at all possible, lots of natural daylight and clear vision into areas such as theatres is ideal.
We base our designs around our clients’ requirements and bring in our own knowledge and expertise to create the best space possible.
Operating Theatres
By recommending the latest in hygienic antibacterial wall claddings and LED lighting, we can design your theatre to the highest standard. We also like to include innovative aspects, such as pass through cupboards that allow easy transfer of equipment, and everything with easy-clean features, including corners and abutments.
We understand how air needs to flow and how many air changes your theatre needs to stay sterile and to meet the recommended standards.
We relish moving forward with our designs and we recently developed the first veterinary practice in the UK with laminar flow technology. Even where budgets don’t permit laminar flow, we encourage our vets to utilise heat reclaim units wherever possible, and we can explain how best to use these and achieve good results when heating and cooling any veterinary practice.
Imaging Facilities and Specialist Equipment
At ACD we have the specialist knowledge to install everything from specialist imaging equipment, such as CT and MRI scanners, to state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pools and water treadmills, into your build.
We have built many fully lead-lined rooms, including linear accelerator bunkers and facilities for nuclear scintigraphy, and are familiar with what needs to be done to meet RPA (Radiation Protection Authority) standards.
Find out more about our experience in this field on our Specialist Installations page.
Wards
Our knowledge of appropriate layouts, materials and finishes in relation to dog and cat wards is second to none. We understand the stresses and strains this room goes through and we can make sure your building is fit for purpose, as well as comfortable for your patients.
Working with veterinary specialists has helped us refine our ideas about what the perfect cat ward needs to feature to meet ICC Gold Standards and create the best environment for feline patients.
With regards to dogs, our experience has lead us to fully understand which materials to use, based on their durability, life expectancy, ability to keep clean and cost. We also understand the acoustic performances of these materials and can design a room which dampens any sounds, making it more enjoyable for the staff (and neighbours) and less stressful for the dogs.
Equine
We have built several equine hospitals over the years and gained a lot of experience in this field. We understand the requirements for knock-down, movement and transportation during operations and for recovery.
We have a vast amount of experience with regards to stabling, isolation and rehabilitation including exercise, lunging, ménage and trotting areas.
Ultimately, we work with you to design a practice that’s right for you, your staff, your clients, and of course the animals. Listening to your aims and values helps us create something that’s truly unique to you.
We would love to talk to you about your project so please feel free to contact us using the form at the bottom of the page.
