2021 Design Team of the Year finalist: Innovative Dental

Last edited 3:49 p.m., Nov. 4, 2021

Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective’s design for Innovative Dental includes a number of unexpected amenities, like a full-service coffee and smoothie bar, an interactive children’s area, a teen retreat room and three private VIP operatory suites.

Architect Jon Dodd feels nothing but pride for Dr. Grant Olson’s dental office project in south Springfield, just off U.S. Highway 65, and says every aspect was built with the patient in mind.

Among the most striking features of Innovative Dental’s new practice is a 30-foot LED screen featuring pictures of smiling patients. A two-story glass-curtain wall is positioned in the building’s reception area to serve as an artistic billboard for travelers on the highway.

“I love how distinctive the building is at first glance, when you’re traveling 70 miles per hour down 65 and you see it crop up over the hill,” Dodd said. “It’s very striking visually, which I love.”

Inside, the main floor is designed in a U shape that Dodd said surrounds a spa-like outdoor courtyard, views of which promote an environment of wellness and serenity.

A dentist is attuned to fine details, and that mindset impacted the building’s aesthetic.

“To understand the design, you really have to understand how a dentist operates,” Dodd said. “They work every day with finite work, inside a person’s mouth, down to a few square inches of space. Everything’s about the fine details in the space, no matter where you go in the building.”

Dodd credited the entire team for the finalist plaudit. He noted that being an architect is a lot like being the conductor of a symphony, with everyone playing a vital part.

“Our patients love it, which is really why we did it,” Olson said. “Dentistry is a high-anxiety, emotional activity for some. When you have a place that is a complete juxtaposition of what the patient expects, the results can be pretty amazing.”