In 2005, Avanti Architects in association with Kennedy Fitzgerald Architects were appointed by the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust to produce a masterplan for the phased redevelopment of the existing hospital, which was 50 years old and no longer fit for purpose.
The new ward block successfully integrates into the existing hospital connecting with the Critical Care Complex to create a compact inpatient & emergency core at the heart of the redeveloped hospital, improving the environment & services provided to the local community.
The six storey building provides a new Day Surgery, Endoscopy and Angiography department, a Cardiac Investigation Unit, a Pharmacy, a Public Café and 12 inpatient wards comprising 288 single rooms with en-suite bathrooms. The wards, located on the upper four floors, benefit from the design which maximises natural daylight and views through generous glazing both in the bedrooms and in the connective spaces which help to create a positive healing environment for patients and staff.
The large full height windows ensure that all departments feel strongly connected to nature, providing views of fields surrounding the hospital site or generously landscaped courtyards with integrated uplifting artwork.
The new building provides 100% Single rooms, arranged in clusters around staff bases according to the clinical needs of the ward, offering good infection control and high levels of privacy for patients. The arrangement allows patients to have views of activities happening outside their rooms enabling them to feel more connected with other patients and staff. Early engagement with the Client team allowed a full scale mock up of the bedroom to be constructed and tested with the users prior to sign off. The result is a fully integrated modern facility, carefully crafted to suit the needs of patients, visitors and staff...