University of Otago School of Dentistry

BHA were engaged in partnership with Jazmax NZ ,to design the Redevelopment of existing School of Dentistry Building for a new Medical and Dental building. BHA were engaged by the University of Otago to masterplan and design new facilities for the Faculty of Health. The University is located in down town Otago and within an existing modernist heritage building which housed their School of Dentistry. The project included the refurbishment of the existing building and the design of a new building to form a new nucleus the Faculty, centered around the dental school and linked to adjacent health faculty facilities, as a cohesive faculty. The new facilities were designed to meet platinum LEED ESD Standards. The project included extensive office accommodation for head of school offices, academic offices, support functions, and the dental clinic administrative facilities to run a 200 chair dental facility. The offices were planned to be discrete areas each with an address for easy of use by students and public clients. At the same time different functional areas where grouped to create a collegiate atmosphere and allow “cross pollination” between staff across divisions of faculty. As part of the briefing process a thorough analysis was undertaken with user groups, of the different methods for creating workspaces for different usage patterns. This assessment resulted in mix of different open, enclosed and group office areas designed to suit the required functional and spatial needs. The project includes a rang of specialist student learning spaces including simulation clinic, virtual simulation, dent technology and CAD Cam facilities. These facilities support both formal and informal student learning spaces including lecture theatre and seminar rooms, to provide a diversity of learning environments for the schools students.The project includes the Sir John Walsh Research Institute. Facilities for research students both including three distinct laboratories for Bio Sciences, Molecular Bioscience and Histology form the nucleus of this facility. A range of work rooms are provided to create working areas for research students in both laboratory and clinic research. Photography by Lightforge