DoH Health Estates led the delivery of an extension to Craigavon Area Hospital on behalf of the Southern Health & Social Care Trust.
Project Background
The Craigavon Area Hospital serves a population of 345,000 citizens in the Southern Health & Social Care Trust area.
This project was for the construction of an extension to the hospital - to provide state of the art theatres, a 15 bed orthopaedic ward, consultation rooms and staff changing.
The new build project led by CPD Health Estates cost £8 million and provided floor space of 3,270m2 for the hospital.
Design Features
The general layout places the main reception, consultation rooms, theatre suites, recovery areas, theatre staff changing and theatre staff rest areas, all on the ground floor and linked to the existing hospital theatres.
The wards, and general staff changing and staff rest areas are located on the first floor with maximum access to daylight and views.
The interior design used within the development is designed to enrich the daily working routine of the staff with bright colours including a feature surgeon’s wall within each of the theatres.
To the corridor and waiting areas, natural light is provided using feature glazed skylights, which also fulfil a smoke vent function in case of fire.
In addition, the skylights function as architectural features and provide orientation and a means of way finding, by creating points of visual interest to the staff and other users.
The main 15-bed ward area to level one includes a central staff base area that has a large glazed rooflight over, measuring 16m by 3m, with all patient areas arranged around this space.
Sustainable initiatives include reducing energy use through high levels of insulation and use of energy efficient and efficiently controlled fittings, coupled with the use of daylighting where possible.
Only highly rated materials from the BRE’S Green Guide to Specification were used for the building fabric; and, internally, materials were chosen that would not only be robust but would also facilitate infection control.
One of the main goals was to design and reduce the risk of infection control. This was particularly important in the clinical and theatre environments.
Research concluded that the current theatre wall system had infection control issues, so a new system was developed. Skirt-less laminar flow UCV canopies were designed for each theatre space, improving the flexibility of theatre use and equipment location.
Other research concluded that copper based door ironmongery was also a positive contribution to infection control.
From early inception right through to completion, a continued reviewed process was maintained to ensure that the product as delivered exceeded client requirements.
Much effort was involved in ensuring that a multi-disciplinary approach was maintained. During the construction phase, regular reviews were carried out of the facility with all stakeholders, to ensure the transportation from design on paper to the build form had been correct.