Excerpt: Plug and Play by Urbanmistrii is a pediatric clinic envisioned as a joyful, child-centric space where expert medical care intertwines seamlessly with a playful, positive ambiance. Moving away from conventional clinical aesthetics, the interior design embraces whimsical patterns, curvaceous furniture, and tactile surfaces. Guided by the belief that getting healthy is a team sport, the space supports holistic growth through warmth, balance, and calm.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] When granted the liberty to envision a space tailored for children, the Principal Designer and Founder of UrbanMistrii – Ritika Rakhiani, unleashes her inner child, wielding crayons to sketch out whimsical patterns, curvaceous furniture, and inviting tactile surfaces.
An enchanting journey sets its course when Dr. Someya Agarwal knocks on UrbanMistrii’s door with a spanning 2,000 sq ft of space envisioned for a paediatric clinic in Gurugram. A luminary in her field, Dr. Agarwal sought to establish Positive Pediatrics—where expert medical care intertwines seamlessly with a vibrant, playful ambiance tailored for comprehensive growth of toddlers, children, and adolescents. Guided by Dr. Agarwal’s principle that “getting healthy is a team sport,” the designer embarked on a quest to translate this ethos into spatial reality. The result: a clinic that embraces a holistic approach to the wellness journey, seamlessly integrating medical expertise with an atmosphere brimming with warmth and positivity.
Upon entering the clinic, one is welcomed with a vibrant wonderland filling the space with infectious energy, embracing a departure from traditional clinical aesthetics. Gone are the austere greys, unwelcoming furnishings, and harsh lighting that typify conventional clinics. The layout is seamlessly divided—transitioning from a vivid waiting area to a subtle tonality for the workshop area that is centred around a focal tree, and finally to the doctor’s cabin.
The reception area is cocooned with walls adorned with playful dots and clouds, while a cheerful sky-blue desk invites children to unleash their artistic talents. Designed with the young ones in mind, the reception desk adjusts to a height comfortable for children, featuring an engaging abacus game to keep them entertained during check-in procedures. Cork-board panels in soothing pastel hues line one wall, offering a canvas for wooden toys to be plugged in, providing endless amusement for children of all ages. Floating shelves in bold red acrylic create a whimsical book-niche, adorned with plushies and inviting seating for little ones to delve into their favourite stories. Beyond the reception lies the workshop and doctors’ rooms, seamlessly connected by glass doors to maintain visual transparency.
The workshop, reminiscent of a magical forest with its central tree, serves as a blank canvas for children to unleash their colourful personalities. Muted tones of grey and white, juxtaposed with warm wooden accents, create a serene backdrop conducive to exploration and creativity. Doctors’ cabins, strategically positioned around the workshop, feature retractable desks and glass doors that open up to form a unified space for events and workshops. Soft, muted tones harmonise with warm wooden accents, evoking an amicable ambiance and binding the interiors. Recognizing the sensitivity of young minds to overwhelming stimuli, the proportion of colours, patterns and textures opt for simplicity with every step of transition through the spaces.
Empathetic doctors step out to the workshop area to engage with children who snug up on their bunny-eared chairs. Utilising the workshop’s retractable desk, they comfortably connect and assess the young patients’ well-being. Additionally, the clinic accommodates a small daycare room where toddlers and children may spend the night for observation, which doubles up as an office for a visiting nutritionist.
Dr. Someya Agarwal envisioned her cabin as a sanctuary that radiated a friendly-calm. Collaborating with Ritika and her team, they achieved this vision through light grey wall panels adorned with minimal wooden floating shelves. Soft accents of chocolate-brown pendant lighting, a curving pastel-green table, and a graceful Monstera plant infuse the space with a gentle touch.
The clinic also houses a versatile day-care room, serving both as a haven for toddlers and children during overnight observation and as the visiting nutritionist’s office three days a week. Bathed in soothing tones of pink and mint green, this room exudes a sense of groundedness and comfort.
Additionally, a unique feature of the clinic is a dedicated space for the client’s husband, a doctor himself, who seeks solace amidst the cheerful ambiance filled with the laughter of children. Rendered in mature tones of leather brown and dark greys, his cabin offers a retreat for introspection when needed, allowing him to savour moments of contemplation in solitude.
Through meticulous attention to detail, mindful use of colours and textures, UrbanMistrii has aligned with the client’s holistic approach to children’s development, crafting a space that bathes in natural light and caters thoughtfully to the unique needs of each stage in a child’s wellness journey.
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