The impact of the design of care home environments on the residents and staff who live and work in them came under the spotlight at this year’s Pinders Healthcare Design Awards, held last week.
The competition aims to promote and recognise the very-best developments in all types of care-related construction, with the categories seeking to acknowledge the contribution made by home owners, designers and architects to the wellbeing and quality of life for those in their care.
While architectural standards and innovation are key factors; the overriding test for any project is the degree to which a scheme has recognised the needs and desires of the residents and incorporated these into the final design.
The panel of judges includes experienced healthcare valuers, architects, developers, lenders and care operators.
Chamberlain Court Care Home, Hallmark Care Homes’ facility in Royal Tunbridge Wells, was among the winners, being awarded the Best New Care Home title.
The facility opened in July 2017 and provides residential and dementia care, with facilities including a hair salon, barbers, cinema room and café, all of which provide vital destination points for residents living with dementia.
Other communal areas comprise of a celebrations room and restaurant on the third floor of the home, with an adjoining terrace, which enables relatives to have a meal with their loved ones on special occasions.
Outside, there are landscaped gardens complete with an aviary and a modern water feature.
General manager of Chamberlain Court Care Home, Genevieve Rodrigues, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won this prestigious award.
“An enormous amount of hard work, dedication and passion has gone into creating this beautiful facility so that the residents, their families, and the care teams can feel at home.
“Being awarded this category is a wonderful acknowledgement of all that effort.”
Commenting on its win in the Best Care Village category, Julie Smyth of NORR Architects, designer of The Chocolate Works Care Village in York, said: “The design philosophy was to create a unique, pioneering and stimulating village with compassionate care at its heart.
“The building needed to facilitate the provision of safe care above everything while maintaining quality of life for residents, within a homely environment. I am delighted with the Pinders Award, which confirms that we have achieved all of this.”
The care village, which is run by Springfield Healthcare, opened in June 2017 following a £10m renovation of the old headquarters of the Terry’s of York chocolate factory.
Setting new standards for elderly care in the heart of the community; the vast central doubl- height glazed atrium has been preserved and transformed into a unique 'marketplace' setting for the residents and visitors, complete with café, restaurant, spa, hairdresser, gym and even its own fully-licensed pub.
The full list of winners is as follows:
Best New Care Home – Elderly
Winners: Pine Martin Grange (Albion Care Communities), Wareham; Fernhill House, Fernhill Heath (Majesticare); and Chamberlain Court, Royal Tunbridge Wells (Hallmark Care Homes)
Best Independent Living Scheme
Winner: Village 135, Wythenshawe (Wythenshawe Community Housing)
Best Care Village
Winner: Chocolate Works Care Village, York ( Springfield Healthcare Group)
Best Regeneration Project
Winner: Swan Court, Birmingham (Precious Homes)
Village 135 won the award for Best Independent Living Scheme