Biomorphic patterns
Thematic wall panels for waiting area of family practice medical clinic in Orillia
(Completed summer 2012)
Thematic wall panels for waiting area of family practice medical clinic in Orillia
(Completed summer 2012)
The commission called for a permanent wall-mounted art installation to add life and warmth to the newly renovated spaces of the 2,000 sqft clinic. The design responds to the philosophy of the practice as well as the interior design. Reflecting the client's expansion into naturopathic medicine and alternative healing, the project explores patterns in nature and refers to local plant and animal species. The material palette complements the clean, bright interior which employs sustainable materials (such as cork flooring and bamboo) and maximizes natural light (new skylights and through glazing into corridors).
In the waiting area, the main relief wraps itself around four walls and consists of a horizontal band of layered, laser-cut plywood, playing with positive and negative form. By the entrance, functional coat hooks are integrated into the design of the panels. The abstract biomorphic forms used allude to the dynamic processes in nature, reminiscent of a heart vein or a tree branch winding its way around the room. Embedded into the voids are graphics inspired by medical imaging (x-rays, microscope), rendering the whole assembly fractal-like in its ambiguity of scale.
Across from the main installation, in the children's play corner, the relief continues into a panorama featuring native plants and animals of Ontario, on land or in water. ECO Surfaces recycled rubber tiles and dyed wool felt accentuate the plywood with colour and texture, and create tactile interaction for toddlers. The recycled rubber also extends onto the floor area.
Throughout the clinic, custom architectural graphics enliven the 3M privacy films applied to office and examination room sidelights. Again playing with figure ground, the graphics add colour and texture to the corridors, featuring various traditional healing plants of Ontario (sage, juniper, alder, fiddlehead). These graphics also animate the waiting area glazing, always maintaining the horizontal band of the wall panels.
(Panels fabricated and installed with the help of Scott Eunson, AW Studios and SioArt)
In the waiting area, the main relief wraps itself around four walls and consists of a horizontal band of layered, laser-cut plywood, playing with positive and negative form. By the entrance, functional coat hooks are integrated into the design of the panels. The abstract biomorphic forms used allude to the dynamic processes in nature, reminiscent of a heart vein or a tree branch winding its way around the room. Embedded into the voids are graphics inspired by medical imaging (x-rays, microscope), rendering the whole assembly fractal-like in its ambiguity of scale.
Across from the main installation, in the children's play corner, the relief continues into a panorama featuring native plants and animals of Ontario, on land or in water. ECO Surfaces recycled rubber tiles and dyed wool felt accentuate the plywood with colour and texture, and create tactile interaction for toddlers. The recycled rubber also extends onto the floor area.
Throughout the clinic, custom architectural graphics enliven the 3M privacy films applied to office and examination room sidelights. Again playing with figure ground, the graphics add colour and texture to the corridors, featuring various traditional healing plants of Ontario (sage, juniper, alder, fiddlehead). These graphics also animate the waiting area glazing, always maintaining the horizontal band of the wall panels.
(Panels fabricated and installed with the help of Scott Eunson, AW Studios and SioArt)
