Solstice Sunglasses NYC

On a recent New York visit I carved out some time to see one of the newest upscale shopping centers at Columbus Circle (59th St.)

The Columbus Circle Center is not as large as those you find in Los Angeles, but it boasts two optical shops. Solstice is strictly sunglasses with mid-range priced styles displayed on the wall and higher-priced styles in locked table top showcases. Brand names are displayed neatly above each row of frames. I was impressed that the check out counter was kept relatively free of clutter.

The back-lit photos are dramatic and eye-catching. Even when the store is full of shoppers you can see these photos from a distance because they are above head-height. The all-glass storefront is a luxury that most optometric offices don't have, but the take-away lesson from this photo is that simple wall displays can be very effective. This designer wisely spent the construction budget on good lighting, graphics and elegant showcases.

Vertical frosted glass panels with a single small shelf on each panel make an eye-catching window display at Solstice. Only one brand name designer is featured at a time with a matching graphic above. This is a good example of how an utterly simple concept makes for great merchandising.

New book coming soon! Subscriber only discount!

My new book, Optometric Office Design Process and Pitfalls, will save you thousands of dollars and help you avoid the exasperating problems and runaway costs that other practitioners experience when they build a new office.

We’re in the final stages of setting up the web page for the book and it will be available as an instant downloadable e-book on or before February 15. We’ll be offering a subscriber-only discount for a limited time, so watch your in-box for the announcement.

You also get a valuable F*R*E*E* bonus – Barbara’s Best 25 Floor Plans – with the book if you order by the deadline.

Construction Costs - Reality vs. Wish

When people call me to talk about building a new office, one of the questions I ask is, "How much per square foot have you budgeted for construction?" The answers mostly range from "I don't know" to $50 per square foot, which is way too low for an all-new interior build-out.

My rule of thumb for estimating construction costs is to figure $100/SF or more for interior only projects. If a client budgets for that amount and it comes in under, then we celebrate. For new buildings you can figure $250 per square foot or more.

Florida is one of the most expensive places to build, topped only by California and New York.. The last project I did in Florida, which was completed in the spring of 2007, came out to $125/SF. And that was for a very simple, no-frills design!

When you are planning a new practice you need to be informed on the realities of construction and design costs. People in the midwest and rural areas like West Texas can often get their construction done for less. But just about anywhere on the East Coast or West Coast it's always higher than you thought it would be. I'm hoping that my projects that are going out for bid in the next month or two will come in for less than last year's average. That's because there's less construction going on and more competition among the contractors now at the start of 2008.

You have to keep in mind that we work almost exclusively with clients in zip codes where at least two out of the top five lifestyle groups have a median income of $75K or more. When all the median income figures fall below $50K, we may not be the right design firm for the project. We don't go overboard with expensive finishes, but we do design to high quality standards that perform well for our clients for 15 to 20 years or more. Quality does not come cheap.

The point is you must do a lot of planning and research when it comes to opening a new practice or moving your existing one. Make sure you get realistic average construction cost figures for your area. If you are going into a higher income area that fits our profile, you can call me and I'll tell you what the latest "BWD Construction Cost Index" is.

Don't be discouraged if the numbers don't look like they will work out the first way you try. You may have to look for a smaller space or a place with lower rent. If you want to attract higher income patients, you can't skimp on construction costs, but there may be another strategy you can employ to make your project work.

Top 10 Reasons and Ways to Go Green

By National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI)

Should you use green (environmentally friendly) building materials the next time you remodel or build a new office? The National Association of the Remodeling Industry shares reasons and ways to go green.

1. Lowers energy consumption
2. Reduces operating costs by increasing efficiency
3. Conserves natural resources
4. Increases the value of the building
5. Improves indoor air quality and in turn, overall health
6. Reduces waste and emissions.
7. Lowers pollution causing less harm to the environment
8. Increases productivity of occupants
9. Improves quality of life and raises comfort
10. Saves money

Common Design Mistakes: Poor Sightlines

The line of vision between a person and an object is called a sightline. In optical design controlling the sightlines of what patients will see as they travel from one room to the next is a nuance that is left out of many office designs. When done correctly patients don’t realize that their sightlines have been carefully planned and limited. What they perceive is a very neat, clean and professional office.

A good optical designer knows where the messy places are likely to be: lab, contact lens storage, business office, private office, staff lounge. In addition patients in the main waiting area should not be able to watch doctors and staff scurrying about in the clinic area. You need to anticipate which rooms and areas should be completely hidden or partially obscured, then position walls and doors to allow little or no view for the patient.
Concealing unsightly areas must be thought-out and designed into the floor plan right from the start. If you don’t like what patients can see after the office is built, it’s too late to fix it.

What is the smallest space for a refracting lane and exam room?

The smallest refracting lane/exam room I've ever done was 7'-6" x
10'. I spoke to this client recently and he says it's working very
well for him. He has a small writing counter and sink to the right
of the chair and the computer with digital eye chart monitor to the
left.

This client was in a situation where he needed to fit 3 exam rooms
into the space that originally held 2 exam rooms. The narrow width
of the room actually works to his advantage because it only takes a
short roll on the stool between computer and writing counter.
Believe it or not, he even has a guest chair in there!

I've seen people make exam rooms as narrow as 6'-6" work but only
when the phoropter is wall-mounted. Most folks find that 8' x 12'
is a comfortable size for an exam room. However, it is possible to
work in a smaller space if you have to.

Printemps

The elegant Paris department store, makes it's home
in this massive architectural wonder. I always enjoy shopping the
high end department stores in New York, like Bloomingdales, Barneys
and Saks Fifth Avenue, but I'll never be able to look at them in
quite the same way now that I've see Printemps.

The spectacular glass dome is the centerpiece and heart of the
store. Three tiers of exquisitely detailed balconies rise from the
main floor to ring the domed atrium. My hat is off to the Printemps
store design team. They have preserved the original architecture,
but added modern lighting in a way that enhances the grand style of
this building.

The different colors behind the railings are a high-tech addition
that you'll see in more and more new stores here in the states.
This LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology is harnessed and
programmed by computer to change color throughout the day.

LED''s are energy efficient and run cool, unlike halogen or
incandescent lights. The initial cost of LED lighting is higher,
but the light source runs for thousands and thousands of hours
(could be 10 years or more!) before you ever have to service the
fixture. Studies show that the average utility cost is much lower
over the life of the fixture.

The cost of these systems is still prohibitive for smaller
retailers, but like all technology today, the cost comes down as
each new generation of the product is created. I predict that it
won't be long before color-change lighting systems will fit into
the construction budget for O.D.'s who want to attract high-end
business.

Here in the USA we have fewer opportunities to find spaces with
beautiful architectural detailing like this for an optometry
office. However, we can be inspired by these ideas and adapt them
to add a touch of high-tech wonder to new designs.

Which Building Shape Is Best?

From Ask The Expert:

Q. My building started out 60 X 40. Told the builder I needed about 3200 sq ft. I would prefer the building be made longer, wider or both to make the size.The builder wants to make the building the size I need by adding a 25 by 30 extension on the back (he had his architect draw this in with a kitchen, Dr offices and Flex Future Lab). I faxed this plan to your office and want to get your help with my design.

My question is this, am I correct that a square or rectangular building will work better (better design potential and less heating/cooling problems because the addition has 3 exposed walls) than a building with an addition on the back. Next, if I can't have the exterior design changed, because of building position, set backs or what ever, how much of a problem do you see designing a well working building with the back addition.

A. Regarding the plan you sent, an L-shaped building footprint would not be my first choice. An "L" shaped plan cannot be as efficient as a rectangular or square shape. It will require more hallway space. That creates extra steps for you and your staff.

Heating and cooling an L-shaped building should not be a problem as long as your architect gets a good mechanical engineer to design the system properly. You might want to consider having a system with 2 or 3 zones that can be regulated separately.

If there is no other choice because of setbacks or other factors, I can certainly work with that shape and give you the most efficient patient flow possible within those confines. Putting staff rooms (lab, breakroom, private offices, storeroom, etc.) in the back leg of the "L" is usually the best solution. We'll keep all the patient traffic in the main part of the building so you'll still be super-efficient where it counts.

A rectangular or square shape is preferred because it enables me to make the best use of every square foot. It requires less hallway space which means more space devoted to patient care and less steps for you and the staff. The closer the shape of the building is to a perfect square, the easier it is to achieve the coveted one-way circular patient flow that is a big contributing factor to high productivity.

Sometimes the final shape of the building is dictated by factors that we cannot change, such as set-backs, irregular lot shape, easements, driveway requirements, etc. If that's the case I will wrestle the footprint of your building into the most advantageous size and shape possible despite the restrictions.

I'm delighted to be working with you and I'm very glad you brought me on board at the beginning of the project. Now I'll be able to coordinate my work with your architect to make your patient flow perfect and your dispensary a visual drawing card for your practice.

Determining Size of Optical

From Ask The Expert:

Q. I'm planning a new building about 4,000 square feet in size. I want to have an optical of about 700-800 square feet with four dispensing tables and 1500 frames. We'll have two doctors and four exam rooms to start, possibly adding another exam room or two in the future. What do you think about the size of the optical?

A. A good rule of thumb for the ideal size of the optical is 15 - 25% of the total square footage. Yours calculates out to 20%. In my experience your optical is a good size (actually larger than average) for a two doctor practice. Most other offices in this size range of 4,000 SF have six exam rooms, often with a somewhat smaller optical area than yours.

If you plan to do a lot of serious marketing specifically to increase your optical sales you might think about making it larger. However, I’ve learned from my clients that the physical setup of the office can usually handle more patients quite easily. The thing that can limit growth is lack of space for the increased number of staff members required to handle the higher volume of patient traffic.

This has to be a decision based on your overall vision and plan for your practice. Do you think those four dispensing tables will be adequate during busy times? How many opticians will you have working at the same time during peak hours? Will you provide space for more work stations for additional staff people in the future as the practice grows?

If you think you’ll need five or six dispensing tables, then you probably need a larger optical. If the four tables you are planning will be enough, then you probably don’t. Another idea that you could consider is having a separate delivery counter with frame warmer and tools in addition to your four dispensing tables. Then those tables can be used exclusively for styling and selecting frames.

Of course all this has to fit in to a realistic construction budget. If you enlarge the building and then can't qualify for the larger loan required, you will have lost a lot of valuable planning time and effort.

Some of my clients "hedge their bets" in this area. If your building lot is large enough you can plan for a future addition if and when it is needed. In this case, we layout the floor plan for the future addition and create an easy way to connect the old with the new when the time comes. If you build for now but plan for the future, then you will not be spending more money than necessary on initial building costs.

I think that this will give you plenty to mull over. Take the time you need now at the beginning stages of your building project to consider your options and their financial impact carefully.