Walking into the offices of Ottawa Plastic Surgery, one would never suspect that the sophisticated, serene space was once a garish-looking automobile parts store.
But the Simmonds Architecture-designed renovation has emerged as an oasis for patients frequenting one of the city’s only free-standing plastic surgery offices.
“This was really a transformation,” says Simmonds Architecture principal Christopher Simmonds. “We had a bright-red auto-parts store. Now we have an incredibly subtle and sophisticated building in its place, which is a huge contrast,” Simmonds says. The cleanness of details and the precision reflect two things, Simmonds adds. The first is design principal Samantha Schneider’s skills, but also the intentions of the client that the building should demonstrate their technical and professional competence, Simmonds says of the owner of Ottawa Plastic Surgery, Dr. Howard Silverman.
It has been a long journey to get to this point. In 2020, Dr. Silverman enlisted Simmonds to undertake the remarkable transformation when the plastic surgeon was looking to branch out on his own. He bought the building backed by a 25-year career in hospitals and clinics that led him to crave his own space. A loss of business from COVID was the final push he needed.
“I always wanted a private place in which I could have my own staff, my own team, and full control over the process,” Dr. Silverman says.
The plastic surgeon had a wish list that he put to Simmonds and contractor Lundy. “I wanted a free-standing facility that was on one floor. I wanted to own the building. I wanted somewhere that was pretty accessible to the Queensway, and I wanted something with lots of parking,” he says. The location on Bank Street was ideal.
Silverman also had a vision for the look and feel of the facility, some of which proved challenging, but with the expertise and experience of Simmonds and the many contractors, he was able to realize it. On Silverman’s list was a space that was clean, attractive and comfortable that also allowed natural light and had an airy feeling, while still maintaining privacy for his patients at the same time.
In addition, Silverman had to consider the needs of the patients before and after surgery. “I also wanted absolute exclusivity, and for the operating rooms, I wanted something that somewhat restricted access, where the patients could come into surgery and leave the operating room while respecting their privacy and their comfort,” he says. Combining these two requirements was difficult, but a synthesis was achieved thanks to Simmonds, in which the office part of the building co-exists with the surgical suites while respecting privacy needs.
The 8,500-square-foot space is indeed bright and breezy but maintains a relaxing vibe for patients. It is also designed to permit plenty of natural light, even in consulting rooms, which line a long hallway of floor-to-ceiling windows (complete with privacy screening) with small portals at the top of each room. The reception area is accented with natural wood and calming lighting, while the attention to detail like soundless door latches in the consulting rooms enhance the experience by reducing the clinical feel.
Samantha Schneider, the project lead, says a project like this was unique because of the inclusion of the medical facilities.
“It’s a lot of painstaking work to create something like this. It becomes very technically sophisticated when you build an operating suite,” she says. The design must account for sufficient HVAC and power supplies with backup, clean rooms, lighting requirements and the maintenance of patient privacy.
It was also a challenge to create an exterior design that reflected the company’s identity and the services being carried out within the building, Schneider adds. As for the interior, “We wanted something very clean, fresh and new but with a personal sensibility that was not sterile. And that is where the palette of white, oak, and accents of blue come in,” she says. “It is a modern, open, tactile, and thoughtfully detailed space.”
The building is divided into two parts, with the front housing patient consulting rooms, the reception and staff work areas, while the remainder consists of the operating and recovery rooms. For Simmonds Architecture, this project provided a new skill set and area of expertise. “I don’t know where this industry is going, but things are evolving. We enjoyed this building type and our team has built up the expertise through it that will apply to future clinics,” she says.
Dr. Silverman says he had doubts about the process, especially with the amount of work the project entailed. While the bones of the building remained, everything else was redone, including the floor, roof, plumbing, electrical, insulation, HVAC and weatherproofing.
But his doubts were extinguished along the way. “It was a red auto shack,” he says. “And I looked at this and I said, ‘I don’t know how this is going to turn into an operating room,’ but they did it. And I think they all had a good time doing it. I think it was a stretch for all of us, but it was a really unique project,” he says.
This article first appeared in the September 2024 special “Best Offices Ottawa” issue of the Ottawa Business Journal. That publication is available in its digital edition below.
