CLINIC CENTER | Paulo Merlini

In this project our main challenge was trying to reduce the natural anxiety that people fell when going to the dentist. For that we used three main forms of positive manipulation. First, and under the notion that we´re equipped with a brain that evolved to guaranty survival in a savanna like reality, rather than a ever growing and ever faster urban scenario than every day imposes us millions of external inputs, plus the fact that seventy percent of that stimulus is visual, we designed a space with the minimum amount of visual stimulation. A minimal approach that will free the brain from unnecessary information helping it to enter in a more relaxed state. Secondly, we inserted natural elements in space. An article written by Chen-yen Chang, Ping-kun Chen and published in August 2005 in HortScience journal, shows us that the presence of natural stimuli, even if in a painting or artificial plants, influences our psychophysiological response making us less nervous or anxious when in presence of this elements. Thirdly, the use of colors. Trough all the clinic we used only two colors. A greenish grey that if in one hand gives the user a sense of sobriety filing the space with a quiet and peaceful sense, in the other hand since this color was only applied in the public areas of the clinic, helps the user to unconsciously perceive the space organization and the consequent gradations of privacy. For all the treatment and working spaces we chose to apply white as dominant color because of our natural unconscious association with cleanness.