The Special Needs Dental Clinic (SNDC) at Salter Point represents a critical piece of healthcare infrastructure, purpose-designed to meet the complex and highly specialised requirements of patients with physical, intellectual, or sensory challenges. Engaged by the Department of Finance on behalf of North Metropolitan Health Service (NMHS), SPH Architecture + Interiors led the full design and documentation process for this stand-alone facility.

Relocated from its previous home in North Perth, the new clinic is sited within the established Dental Health Services campus, where it carefully integrates with the existing buildings while asserting a distinct identity. Drawing inspiration from the local landscape and architectural vernacular, the pavilion-like structure is low-slung in response to its single-storey clinical brief, with a restrained and tactile material palette that reflects the surrounding natural setting.

The building’s form is defined by a rhythmic glazed façade, boxed eaves, and a prominent fascia that provides clarity and legibility. A finely crafted timber screen recalling the texture of peeling bark offers shade, visual privacy, and filtered sunlight, enhancing patient comfort and emotional wellbeing. Internally, the layout comprises four dental chairs, each within its own tailored environment, developed through intensive consultation with stakeholders and clinicians to ensure accessibility, safety, and dignity for all users.

The SNDC is more than a healthcare facility; it is a calm and inclusive space that responds thoughtfully to the unique needs of its patients, while embedding itself respectfully within its campus and landscape context.

‍