-By Amy Milshtein, Photography by Hester and Hardaway Photography

project/ client:  Northshore Dental at Evanston Court
location:  Houston
designer:  Enter Architecture


Talk about taking your work home with you: Karen Lantz, AIA, principal of Enter Architecture, and Andrew Farkas, DDS, and owner of Northshore Dental at Evanston Court in Houston, are more than just architect and client. They are wife and husband, embarking together on a journey some would say is more arduous than marriage. They bought a building for Farkas's dental practice, and Lantz designed it with winning results.

Both parties agree that working together was easy and hard at the same time. "I was spared a lot of headaches because Karen took care of almost everything," says Farkas. "We've know each other a long time, and she knows my tastes." But Lantz took nothing for granted and still had to talk her client into certain things. She also found a novel way to preserve the bottom line; Lantz only wanted to be the architect but ended up taking on the entire job herself.

"I've never worked as a contractor and builder before, but when we bid out the project I realized we could save a lot of money if we did this ourselves," she admits. The couple poured the money they saved into high-end, long-lasting materials. The result is a dentist office that shines with the clean lines and sophistication of a modern art gallery.

Terrazzo floors cover the entire space. Originally deemed too expensive, Lantz saved money by having it poured on the foundation prior to the installation of the walls. The entry space exudes the sophistication of a hotel lobby, with a fish tank added for a dash of whimsy. "We went back and forth on the fish tank," remembers Lantz. "But Andrew said that the patients love it." So Lantz decided to go with the best aquarium provider in town. The children's play area is tucked into a niche behind the tank. Outfitted with red carpet and its own cool furniture, the area keeps the kids and their toys wrangled.

Quartz countertops remain durable and resistant to the caustic chemicals used in the dental profession. Aluminum bases and gypsum trim also stand up to hard use while tying the building's exterior details to the interior. Locally acquired, glazed brick provides a graphic punch to the walls. Solid walnut cabinetry lends sophisticated warmth, while allowing easy repairability.

One of the features Farkas enjoys most is the floor-to-ceiling operable windows. Dressed with mesh shades to control glare while maintaining the view, the windows remain a luxury missing in the dentist's last office. "It was like working in a cave," he says. Now he and his patients enjoy daylighting and southerly gulf breezes, along with garden views.

While both the client and architect love the end product, the process was difficult for the husband and wife. Yet it ended on a happy note. "Andrew was a saint," recalls Lantz. "I worked long hours, came home muddy from being on site, and he would have dinner waiting. I couldn't ask for a better 'client.'"


jury comment:

"A visit to the dentist has been transformed into an adventure; this is ingenious. The experience of natural light changes the stereotypical image of sitting in the 'chair' to something else. I want to go to this dentist. It feels like a spa. Lighting, both natural and artificial, is used effectively to create a visually stimulating environment."


who
Project: Northshore Dental at Evanston Court. Client: Andrew Farkas, D.D.S. Architect, interior designer, construction manager: Karen Lantz, AIA, Enter Architecture. Structural engineer: DaRam Engineers, Ciarinn Higgins. Mechanical/electrical engineer: Packard Engineering Associates.General contractor: Gem Building Group, Gabe Garcia. Furniture dealer: Debner + Company, Vanguard Environments. Lighting designer: Karen Lantz, AIA with Justin Woolf. Photographer: Hester and Hardaway Photographers.

what
Wallcoverings: Forbo. Paint: Benjamin Moore. Countertops: Okite. Dry wall base & reveals: Fry Reglet. Masonry: Elgin Butler. Flooring: Terrazzo by American Marble Mosaic. Ceiling panels: Tectum. Lighting: Kundalini. Doors: Graham. Door hardware: FSB. Window frames: Columbia Commercial Building Products. Window treatments: MechoShade. Aquarium: Aquarium Design Group. Patient waiting lounge: Bernhardt Design. Children’s play nook furniture: notNeutral. Coffee and side tables: Bernhardt Design, Kartell. Other seating: Knoll. Files and shelving: Richards-Wilcox. Patient room casegoods: Evans Cabinet & Door. Patient consultation: Knoll. Monitor arms, cpu holders, task chairs: Human Scale. Patient room lighting: Seltzer Institute. Staff lounge seating & table: Harter. Dentist’s office: Knoll, Allermuir, Human Scale, Upholstery: Maharam. Woodworking and cabinetmaking: Evans Cabinet & Door. Courtyard Furnishings: Frank Ghery for Heller. Courtyard staff lunch table: Landscape Forms. Signage: PH Design Shop. Art: Peel Gallery and Barbara Davis Gallery. Wall Algae: Vitra. Plumbing fixtures: Duravit, American Standard, Blanco, Toto. Security: Simplex Grinnell. Aluminum louvers: Architectural Louvers. Skylights: Velux.

where
Location: Houston, TX. Total floor area: 4,000 sq. ft. No. of floors: one. Total staff size: 6.