Ode Dermatology’s Foolscap Studio-designed clinic in Fitzroy, Australia, blurs the lines between its role as a healthcare provider and a wellness space.

Key features

Ode Dermatology’s clinic in Fitzroy, Australia, trades in sterile, clinical interiors for a wellness-inspired experience. The transformation of the space was completed by Foolscap Studio, which is based on ‘the name Ode, framed by the idea of a "quiet ode to oneself" and acknowledging the importance of taking time out for ourselves,’ says Adèle Winteridge, director of Foolscap Studio. 'The interior feel of Ode and the impact that the physical space has on the individual is a departure from that traditional notion of healthcare provision, with the emphasis very much on wellness.’

Located inside of a Victorian shopfront, the ground floor underwent an extension while maintaining and restoring the building’s original features. Entering the clinic, the reception area features a curved wall clad in a fibreglass ‘skin’ with aluminium shelves displaying retail products. Guests are then directed to wait in a lounge space characterized by tactile textiles, a custom houndstooth print run by RC+D and a leather and velvet L-shaped sofa. The treatment rooms are finished in a neutral colour palette with wood flooring, custom joinery pieces, O-shaped mirrors, sheer drapery and polished natural stone, lending them a relaxing and spa-like quality. Despite the dermatology office’s non-clinical appearance, all the necessary facilities are present, including a nurse’s station, a dedicated sterilization room and space for large medical equipment.

Frame’s take

Ode Dermatology is a clinic-turned-wellness space indicative of a larger trend of healthcare facilities trading in a sterile look for spaces that foster wellbeing. ‘An ambition to reconcile the relationship between body, mind and surroundings means that the aesthetic line separating the boutique gym from the doctor’s surgery is rapidly blurring,’ we wrote in Frame 130 on the topic. The holistic approach to health and wellness reflects a shift in attitude viewing the two as separate aspects of overall wellbeing. This overlap between healthcare and wellness will, as Ode Dermatology does, manifest itself not only in treatments but spaces too.