Architect: Tektus Architects
Client:Avon & Wiltshire Mental Heath
Partnership NHS Trust
Main Contractor: Ken Biggs Contractors Ltd

Reqiremuents 

Our clients were relocating from an old building set in a rural location to a site in a city hospital and had a strong desire that the new facility should have a memory of their previous rural setting. With this in mind the building was designed to be a barn like form, which enabled a design maximising all the available daylight deep within the building.

Construction

Working with a contract period of 42 weeks the project was broken into three phases of construction. A new Mother and Baby Unit, a new High Dependency Unit and the refurbishment of Gloucester House.

Initially once excavations commenced the existing steam pipes and gas services were diverted to enable foundations of both buildings to be constructed.

The Mother and Baby Unit was constructed as a traditional build with deep foundations and a concrete floor slab. A steel frame formed the central core of the building and the interconnecting rooms were built in blockwork. Six bedrooms were created with en-suite facilities. Included in the build were various staff areas, offices, crèche and kitchen. The façade was rendered and part timber clad.
The second phase of the project was the construction of the High Dependency Unit which was built adjacent to an existing live building and was subsequently linked to it once foundation walls reached ground level.

A large basement was created for all new mechanical services, plant and equipment to be located. A steel frame formed the main structure with a concrete beamed floor forming the basement ceiling. The external walls were constructed traditionally using blockwork and render but the building was of an unusual rectangular shape with large windows maximising the amount of light into the building.
The final phase of the project was then underway with the refurbishment of Gloucester House. This phase was subdivided into six sections and careful planning and liaison with the client was required to minimise the amount of disruption to them and their users.

A new main entrance was created with full height glazed screens and automatic entrance doors to make access as easy as possible for patients. The existing offices were refurbished and upgraded with new lighting, heating, floor coverings and decorations. A new staff kitchen extension was created including physiotherapy and a gym.

The existing gardens were then refurbished and two hexagonal garden sheds were created with new paths and walkways. Both buildings were enclosed with close boarded fencing and the whole area was landscaped with new trees, shrubs and bushes.