Penn Dental Medicine (PDM) is among the oldest university-affiliated dental institutions in the nation, founded in 1878. A bequest from Thomas W. Evans, a dentist and Philadelphia native, enabled the construction of the Thomas W. Evans Museum and Dental Institute, which opened in 1915.
PDM marked the building’s centennial in 2015 by launching a renovation initiative to enhance the student and patient experience. Patient privacy, small group practice modeling, and accommodating the clinical teaching demands of a 21st century dental school were among the factors that informed the design.
When work was complete in 2018, the Main Clinic had undergone complete redesign and renovation and was renamed the Robert I. Schattner Clinic, for the Class of ’48 alumnus whose donation made the project possible. The 9,700-square-foot clinic features a total of 74 dental operatories, including four dedicated to digital radiography. Natural light streams through dramatic two-story windows, mimicking the space’s original 1915 windows, and the original windows on the east and south sides of the clinic were revealed and restored. A 3,300-square-foot, two-story addition (the Schattner Pavilion) created a student lounge and a 60-seat patient waiting area.
Construction of this project was coordinated with adjacent occupied, functional clinics. As a member of Ewing Cole’s team, KMA provided lead design and programming for the clinic and contributed to the design of the addition.
