From office building to operating room complex: How to build a successful Independent Treatment Center (ISTC)

29 Apr 2026

The step from a hospital to owning one’s own clinic is the ultimate dream for many medical specialists. But new construction sites are scarce and often prohibitively expensive. So sometimes you must be smart.

Transforming an existing office location into a hypermodern Independent Treatment Center (ISTCs) is an attractive alternative.

For aspiring medical entrepreneurs, this is often the way to realize their own clinic relatively quickly. But converting an office building into a healthcare facility is quite different from creating a new office layout. It requires a technical feat where every centimeter counts.

After all, an office was never designed for operating rooms, sterile workflows, and medical installations. What should you look out for? And how do you prevent your business plan from failing due to a ceiling that is too low or an elevator that is too small?

We will guide you through the most important points to consider.

The ‘Can-it-be-done’ check
Before you sign a lease or purchase contract, you need to know whether a property is technically suitable for your plans. At Medexs, we therefore always start with a thorough inventory. A few critical points you need to look at immediately:

• Ceiling height:
  This is often the biggest obstacle. In an operating room, there must be space for air handling systems in the ceiling. If the height is insufficient, the equipment simply won’t fit.
• Structural:
  Is it structurally possible to support the openings necessary for the air handling installation and the weights of the OR lamp and pendants?
• Air handling:
  In addition to space in the ceiling, there must also be room for an air handling unit. For the highest classification operating rooms (Class 1+), such an installation can take up (much) more space than initially anticipated. If the air handling unit is placed on the roof, you must take into account:
• the weight and load-bearing capacity of the roof
• permits regarding the building’s appearance

For less extensive interventions (Class 1 or 2), there are more compact solutions, such as the ready-made Medical Air Handling Unit developed by Medexs specifically for these spaces. This air handling unit requires much less space.

• The elevator:
  Is the clinic located on a higher floor? Then the elevator must be large enough for transporting patients lying down on a stretcher. If the elevator is too small and a patient cannot be transported safely in an emergency, the ground floor is often the only option. In practice, constructing a new elevator shaft usually proves to be very costly.
• Permits:
  You are not even allowed to start building without a specific (environmental) care permit. This must therefore be considered during the design phase.
• Space:
  An operating room is more than just a room with an operating table. Multiple supporting spaces are required, such as a waiting area, changing room, recovery room, preparation room, and storage.
• Workflows:
  In a clinic, logistical flows must not cross paths. Clean instruments should preferably never pass by medical waste. Furthermore, logistical access points must be separated from the entrance for patients and staff. Therefore, we work with detailed layout plans for the movement of patients, staff, and goods.
• Medical gases:
  Due to fire safety regulations, gas cylinders may not (always) be stored inside the building. Special storage must be set up outside for this purpose. If this must be done indoors, additional fire-retardant and ventilation measures must be taken.
• Electricity:
  A clinic consumes a lot of energy, particularly for air handling and specific medical equipment. Investigate in good time whether sufficient additional capacity is available from the grid operator, as there are currently long waiting times for this, if it is even possible to obtain an upgrade to the existing connection.

It is possible: Visus Eye Clinic Rotterdam

A striking example of a successful transformation is the new headquarters of Visus Eye Clinic in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. A vacant six-story office building — and therefore immediately a significant puzzle regarding routing, elevators, and distributing functions across the floors.

The biggest technical challenge lay in the air handling. Visus works with advanced equipment such as the Catalys laser and the VisuMax 800, which impose extremely strict requirements on temperature, humidity, and air pressure. Medexs therefore selected the most advanced air handling system from Halton — a solution that switches flexibly between Class 1 and Class 2 air quality.

In addition, the two operating rooms and two laser rooms were deliberately designed to be larger than the standard: 30 m² instead of the usual 20 m². This makes them future proof; new equipment can be added without space becoming a limiting factor.

The result? A completely converted office building that has grown into a high-quality, modern clinic with a major wow factor — from 750 m² to 5,000 m².

The renovation took just under a year and was a true collaboration: Medexs handled the medical workflows, technical installations, permits, and infection prevention assessment. Architect Thomas Pronk was responsible for the look & feel.

Why Medexs is your ideal partner
As a doctor, you want to focus on your patients, not on air handling ducts or zoning plans. Medexs is your ‘one-stop shop’. We unburden you from A to Z:

• Design & Build: We don’t just create the design but build it.
• On-site check: Our construction team always accompanies you on-site to see if it is truly feasible, so you are never faced with surprises.
• Total package: From the permit application and infection from anti-theft assessments to medical equipment such as pendants and operating tables.

Ready to realize your dream clinic? Building in an office building is complex, but with the right partner, it is the fastest route to your own business.

Curious about the possibilities for your property?

Contact Medexs. We are happy to brainstorm with you.