01The goal

A vacant, unfinished commercial unit with exposed ceiling and bare walls. Dots for Kids needed a fully functional pediatric occupational therapy centre: multiple private treatment rooms, a full sensory gym rated for suspended equipment, a staff kitchenette, and organized storage for hundreds of therapy tools.

02What we changed

• Framed and finished multiple private therapy rooms from an open commercial shell
• Reinforced the structural steel above the ceiling grid to anchor suspended swings and rigging
• Built a full sensory gym with a rubber floor, crash mats and hanging equipment
• Built a staff kitchenette with cabinetry, a sink and a break table
• Installed a wall-to-wall custom storage system to organize therapy materials by category
• Painted accent walls room by room and ran new lighting and flooring throughout

03Key materials & finishes

• Teal accent paint
• Commercial carpet tile
• Wood-look vinyl plank flooring
• White shaker kitchenette cabinetry
• Suspended ceiling grid
• Structural swing rigging hardware
• Custom labelled storage shelving
• Rubber gym flooring

04Design & construction decisions

• Swing and trapeze rigging is anchored directly into the structural steel above the ceiling, not the ceiling grid itself, so it is rated for real dynamic load.
• Each therapy room got its own accent wall and signage, so kids and staff can tell rooms apart at a glance.
• A full wall of labelled, bin-by-bin storage keeps hundreds of small therapy tools organized and easy to find between sessions.
• The sensory gym is fully glass-walled on one side, so staff can supervise from the hallway without being in the room.

05Challenges we solved

• Anchoring suspended equipment safely. Swings and climbing rigging carry real dynamic load. We opened the ceiling and tied every anchor point back to the building's structural steel, not just the drop-ceiling grid.
• Fitting a full program into one commercial unit. Between treatment rooms, a gym, a kitchenette and storage, space was tight. We planned the mechanical and electrical layout first, then framed rooms around it so every space earned its keep.