An innovative multi-purpose community facility providing a range of integrated primary health and social care services wowed the judges to pick up the Best Out-of-Hospital Care Facility Design Award.
The Barrhead Health and Care Centre brings together three GP practices, two dental surgeries, a clinical zone, an adult mental health service, children’s services, a podiatry and physiotherapy department, and a sexual health facility all under one roof. There is also a day care centre for the elderly, which has its own entrance and garden, and the centre acts as a base for a range of community health and social care workers who take services to people in their own homes.
This centre is an excellent example of the drive to integrate the provision of healthcare with social services
First impressions when entering the building are of light, space and calm, with daylight flooding into a triple-height central atrium offering views to a park beyond. Clinical areas are located on the ground and first floors, with easy access for both ambulant people and wheelchair users. All staff accommodation is located on the second floor.
Patient safety is enhanced through the careful planning of reception points to provide supervision of waiting areas and the use of CCTV around the exterior. In contrast, clinical departments have been carefully designed to protect privacy and confidentiality.
Throughout the design stage, staff and members of the community were consulted and regular feedback meetings were held with local groups and the press.
The resulting facility is designed to be flexible and sustainable, with natural ventilation and daylight maximised and with low-energy lighting throughout. In addition, heating in winter and cooling in summer is assisted by a ground source heat pump connected to a geothermal installation beneath the carpark.
The judges said: “This centre is an excellent example of the drive to integrate the provision of healthcare with social services.
”The building is immediately bright and uplifting, with a generous atrium and restrained use of colour. Waiting areas, situated off the main space, are pleasant and calm, and journeys through the building easy, with the atrium providing orientation and light. Externally the clean form and restrained use of materials makes a positive contribution to the street.”
WINNER: The Barrhead Health and Care Centre, Glasgow (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and East Renfrew Council Community Healthcare Partnership, Avanti Architects, Graham Construction)