A welcoming place: a dental practice with contemporary, hygienic HIMACS surfaces

Hygiene and ease-of-cleaning are key factors in the medical sector. There are many strict regulations regarding to the use of suitable materials. In this renovation of a dental practice in Lehnin, Germany, the seamlessly finished HIMACS solid surface material demonstrates its highly hygienic properties as well as its resistance to cleaning agents and disinfectants. The solid surface material also scores with its warm, pleasant feel and friendly, bright appearance, offering both patients and practice staff a calm and relaxed atmosphere. 

Dentist Tamara Adams was looking for ‘more than just a dental practice – but a welcoming place’ when she contacted the team at Geilert GmbH.

The company specialises in exclusive practice design for doctors and dentists. The team listened, drafted plans and implemented them: In order to create a welcoming atmosphere in the old monastery building, the team used natural, harmoniously blended shades of brown, creating a sense of tranquillity and security.

This included a wood effect flooring throughout the practice as well as an elegant brick wall at the back, giving the interiors a modern touch. 

The reception counter provides an exciting visual contrast: a white monolith with a seamless finish, made from the HIMACS ‘Arctic White’.  

The proverbial highlight is the practice name carefully engraved into the counter front together with the practice logo. Backlighting draws attention to this feature.

Its visual qualities are not the only selling point of the solid surface material; it also offers a special feel. This makes the counter not only warm to touch but – thanks to its smooth, non-porous and seamlessly finished surface – also particularly hygienic and easy to clean, an essential aspect for the practice team.  

Due to this ultimate hygiene factor, HIMACS was also used in other rooms within the practice. The worktop on a new dental cabinet found in the treatment and prophylaxis room is also made from this high-tech material.  

Its seamless finish allowed for a sink to be embedded flush into the cabinet, complementing the elegant, sophisticated look of the furniture, making its surface appear flawless. The cabinet successfully combines practicality and modern design, harmoniously blending into the existing interior architecture.  

Remodelling the sterilisation room and laboratory presented a particular challenge for the Geilert GmbH team. While the reception area was all about design, functionality was the top priority in this part of the project.

The furnishings needed to provide an ergonomically designed work surface which is also durable. The selected material needed to be resistant to germs and chemicals as well. 

Thanks to the HIMACS work surface and splash protection wall, the sterilisation room is now remarkably easy to maintain and durable and complies with all hygiene regulations issued by the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s central scientific institution in the field of biomedicine.

Kathrin Geilert, specialist designer at Geilert GmbH, explains the choice of material: “Hygiene is of paramount importance in the sterilisation room. Therefore, particular attention must be paid to materials, when designing the area. We recommend HIMACS, especially for worktops and backwalls.”

The flawless solid surface material complements the customised built-in cabinets in both visual and functional terms. The cabinets are tailored to the requirements and personal preferences of the practice team, such as handles for left- or right-handed staff, comfortable storage options, etc., making sure that they are a perfect fit for the practice routine.

Thanks to the flexible application options and strong properties of the solid surface material, the sterilisation room boasts modern design, meeting the highest aesthetic demands. This creates perfect harmony throughout the practice design theme. 

Material: HIMACS Arctic White www.himacs.eu  

HIMACS elements: Reception counter, work surfaces in the practice, splash protection 

Photo credit: © Geilert GmbH / René Jungnickel 

HIMACS is a solid surface material that can be moulded into any shape. It is widely used for architectural and interior applications, such as sculptural and high performance wall-cladding or kitchen, bathroom and furniture surfaces, in commercial, residential and public space projects.

It is composed of minerals, acrylic and natural pigments that come together to provide a smooth, non-porous and visually seamless surface which meets the highest standards for quality, aesthetics, fabrication, functionality and hygiene – offering manifold advantages over conventional materials. 

HIMACS provides limitless possibilities for surfacing solutions and inspires creative minds from all over the world. Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, Rafael Moneo, Karim Rashid, Marcel Wanders and David Chipperfield, among others, have completed fabulous projects using HIMACS.  

At the forefront of innovation as always, LX Hausys recently introduced two new products. First HIMACS Ultra-Thermoforming, an innovative formula that pushes the boundaries of solid surface shaping to a whole new level, with 30% more thermoplastic capabilities – the biggest innovation for the Solid Surface history since its inception in 1967. 

Now, HIMACS Intense Ultra, combining the characteristics from two disparate worlds: Intense Colour Technology and Ultra-Thermoforming. 

HIMACS uses a simple heating process to give three-dimensional thermoplastic forming capabilities, allows visually seamless designs, offers a virtually limitless range of colours and – for some shades – exhibits a special translucency when exposed to light. Although HIMACS is almost as robust as stone, it can be worked in a similar way as wood: it can be sawn, routed, drilled or sanded. 

HIMACS is manufactured using a new generation technology, the thermal cure. The temperature reached during the manufacturing process sets HIMACS apart from other solid surfaces and creates a denser, even more homogeneous, sturdy, durable surface – with a better resistance and superior thermoforming performance. 

HIMACS does not absorb humidity, is highly resistant to stains, and is easy to clean, maintain and repair. 

Countless internationally recognized certificates attest to the quality of HIMACS in terms of ecological commitment, hygiene and fire resistance – being the first Solid Surface in the market to receive the official European Technical Approval (ETA) for façades – for Alpine White S728 colour. Furthermore, HIMACS has obtained the French QB certification and CSTB ATec “Avis Technique” for facade applications.  

HIMACS offers a 15-year warranty for products fabricated by a Quality Club Member.