For 2017, the Building Better Healthcare Awards will showcase the very best of health and social care architecture in the UK and further afield.
This year there are seven trophies available in the Building Design class – Best BIM Development, Best Sustainable Development, Best Dementia Care Development, Best Mental Health Development, Best International Healthcare Design, Best Primary Care Development, and Best Acute Hospital Development .
Across all categories, projects entered must have become fully operational between 1 January 2016 and 1 June 2017.
The first award in this category, introduced for the first time last year, recognises the Government’s decision to make the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) compulsory on all centrally-procured building projects, including publicly-funded NHS and social care developments.
BIM is the process of designing a building collaboratively using a system of computer-generated models, rather than separate sets of drawings. It offers considerable cost and time savings and much-greater accuracy, avoiding errors as multiple teams input into a design over the course of its creation.
The BBH Award will showcase how early adopters of BIM have used the system to enhance the delivery of health and social care buildings in the UK.
Further highlighting efforts by the healthcare construction supply chain to enhance efficiency, there will also be an award for Best Sustainable Development.
This will be presented to a project the judges deem to show a measurable and substantial reduction in energy costs, both during construction and when the building is in operation. The development must also be flexible enough to meet future needs as health and social care priorities change in the coming years.
To stand the best chance of winning, the entry should be written by the person most involved in the project – the head architect, for example
The awards will then focus on the various types of health and social care buildings currently being constructed across the country, from Best Primary Care Development – which will include GP surgeries, multi-use community health and wellbeing centres, dental surgeries, and community therapy units – to Best Acute Hospital Development, which will acknowledge the continued efforts to enhance hospital environments for the benefit of patients, staff and visitors; and Best Mental Health Development, which will explore how good design can boost recovery for people with psychiatric conditions.
Recognising the growing dementia epidemic, the awards will also include a trophy for Best Dementia Care Development. This covers both units within hospitals and health centres and social care nursing and specialist care homes.
In addition, as in previous years the judges are looking at the impact of overseas developments on the UK marketplace. The Best International Design prize will be presented to the project they feel will provide learning for UK architects and would enhance the lives of patients in this country.
All award categories are open to both new-build and refurbishment projects. Where they judges feel they cannot make a fair decision on a winner, prizes will be awarded for both new-build and revamp schemes.
Highlighting the positive impact even small-scale projects can have on services, the judges will also award multiple trophies if they deem both small and large projects need to be recognised.
The most-important thing when submitting entries is to put over to the judges how the development meets current health and social care priorities
As in previous years, there will also be an overall Grand Prix Design Award, which the judges will present to their favourite entry across the entire Building Design Class. This is not open for entries, but will be chosen automatically from all those entries chosen before the closing date.
Awards organiser, BBH editor, Jo Makosinski, said: “The most-important thing when submitting entries is to get over to the judges how the development meets current health and social care priorities.
They will want to know how the building was laid out to reflect the patient pathway and patient needs and how the development aids maintenance and cleaning, thus improving infection control; how it enhances the environment for patients, staff and visitors; how it takes advantage of key design principles such as good use of natural daylight and good ventilation; and how it is futureproofed, to ensure the building can develop over time and as demand changes. All these things need to be outlined clearly in your entry.
“Images are also very important to help the judging panel to really picture the project. Images should be real-life photographs, not artists’ impressions, and floorplans should be included. Patient and staff testimonials are also crucial in measuring the true impact of a scheme.
“To stand the best chance of winning, the entry should be written by the person most involved in the project – the head architect, for example.”
To find out more about how to enter, click here for the awards criteria.