With hospitals all over the country sprouting new wings, specifiers will need to keep their eye on the latest in everything from curtain wall to kickplates
Glazy days at King's
A total of 600 m2 of fire-resistant glass from Vetrotech Saint-Gobain has been installed in the new Golden Jubilee Wing of King's College Hospital. A range of glass types was used to ensure that the varying specifications for fire resistance were met. The products, installed by FireShield Glazing, included SGG Pyroswiss Classic, SGG Pyroswiss Extra, SGG Contraflam-N2 and SSG Swissflam Lite. Vetrotech Saint Gobain says its glass can be incorporated into double-glazed units for additional protection. It can also be combined with solar control glasses, such as SGG Parsol, SGG Antelio, and SGG Cool-Lite, or with low-emissivity products such as SGG Eko Plus to help specifiers comply with Part L.
Vetrotech Saint-Gobain
www.vetrotech.com
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 901

Prefab on a roll at Westhaven
Rollalong, manufacturer of modular buildings for the healthcare sector, has supplied a community mental health team with offices and an outpatients department at Westhaven Hospital in Weymouth. The single-storey pitched-roof building, was completed in two months at a cost of £360,000. Rollalong says healthcare property managers are turning to modular buildings because they are capable of delivering more space, and have significantly lower lead times, than traditional buildings.
Rollalong
www.rollalong.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 902

Pressure's off at the Great Western
Honeywell has provided the Great Western Hospital in Swindon with more than 60 pressure-reducing valves to ensure water is delivered from all outlets at a pressure of 2 bars. The valves vary in size from 0.5 to 6 inches in diameter and are designed to provide the ideal water pressure for equipment and taps. The water system is fed at 6 bar by a booster set to ensure adequate pressure at the top of the six-storey building. Without the valves, pressure on the lower floors would be too high for sinks, toilets and laundry and kitchen equipment.
Honeywell Control Systems
www.honeywell.com/uk/homes.htm
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 903

Furnishing the Churchill
David Bailey's Healthline furniture is being fitted throughout the new Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at Churchill Hospital. The Kent-based company is supplying fitted furniture for 10 single bedrooms on the ward, the outpatient consulting rooms and the staffed kitchen areas. It has also been asked to supply bespoke vanity units with pull-out bins and cupboards to house fridges.
David Bailey Furniture Systems
www.davidbaileyfurniture.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 904

Trio of reconstituted masonry products
Fyfestone Architectural Masonry has launched three reconstituted masonry products: the Premier Split, Premier Fairfaced, and a range of Facing Bricks. Fyfestone says the Premier Split is a masonry product that gives the traditional dressed appearance of natural rustic stone and sandstone masonry. It is available in six colours in two course heights. According to Fyfestone, Premier Fairfaced is a competitively priced unit with a distinctive masonry look. It is available in natural buff, red, marigold, charcoal and yellow. Architectural dressings will be available on a made-to-order basis for both products. The range of facing bricks comprises six smooth and six textured bricks in grey, red, yellow, marigold, brown and charcoal.
Fyfestone Architectural Masonry
www.fyfestone.com
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 905

Yorkon to provide modular extension
Yorkon has won a £1.7m contract for a single-storey extension to the accident and emergency department of Whipps Cross University Hospital, east London. The building has been designed with Broadway Malyan Healthcare. Yorkon will deliver 24 modules over four days and says the A&E department will remain open during construction. The facility will open in March and will include blood, gas and ultrasound units, clean rooms and a shower-room for the disabled.
Yorkon
www.yorkon.com
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 906

Protection for doors and walls
Interiors specialist Gradus has launched Armaclad, a medium-duty protection strip for doors and walls. Armaclad is available in two heights and has been designed to reduce the impact of scrapes and dirt on surfaces and reduce the costs associated with maintenance and refurbishment. The protection strip is part of the Inpro range of wall, corner and door protection products. Gradus claims it is cost effective and easy to install: foam tape fixed to the strips is used to adhere it to walls and doors. The product has been designed for use as a rubrail, kickplate or pushplate and Gradus claims it is resistant to fire, chemicals, bacteria and fungus. The range is available in 20 colours, six of which are in the rapid response colour range, which means specifiers can get hold of them within 24 hours.
Gradus Acessories
www.gradusworld.com
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 909

Janex brings Scandinavia to Greenock
Scandinavian windows and doors supplier Janex is to supply Alu-clad windows and external doors to a new-build nursing home development in Greenock, Inverclyde. The external door sets for the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home are being constructed from high-quality Nordic pine frames and hardwood thresholds with aluminium cladding. All doors are supplied with frames and ironmongery and have a typical U value of 0.7 W/m2. The Alu-clad windows are aluminium-clad timber windows, which have been tested to BS7950. Janex says the windows are thermally efficient, and have outstanding stability against extreme weather conditions.
Janex
www.janex.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 910

Painting the roots of recovery
The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Middlesex has used Dulux's paint advice service to redecorate its outpatient room. Dulux Trade, in collaboration with the in-house project team, got children to paint tree-shaped panels using "fashion effect" paints from Dulux Trade. The resulting designs were hung and lit using directional lighting. Dulux Trade says the aim was to promote a positive, engaging and energising atmosphere to aid patients' recovery.
Dulux Trade
www.duluxtrade.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 911

King’s College Hospital

Technal has provided 2000 m2 of curtain walling for the new wing of King’s College Hospital in London. The £76m scheme includes a maternity unit, medical wards, and a large ambulatory care centre. The six-storey clinical building, designed by Nightingale Associates, has a curved glazed facade made up of Technal’s MC Trame Horizontale curtain walling. The glazed facade spans four storeys to allow maximum daylight into the building, which is on a tight site. To reduce glare, the curtain walling was glazed in smoked grey tinted glass. About 200 top-hung concealed windows from Technal’s MC suite were also installed to provide natural ventilation.
Technal
www.technal.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 900

Prefab spout

There are numerous prefabricated building products on the market that can offer a great solution for healthcare construction – as long as the specification is spot on. Peter Warner of modular building manufacturer Yorkon has some advice for first-timers

Setting the specification

  • Set the design criteria. A data sheet for each room is invaluable. Specify detailed elements such as the number and location of power points, required air temperature, lighting levels, humidity, flooring type, target running costs and so on. This will ensure the design meets your specific requirements from the outset and will help you compare tenders.
  • Be clear about your objectives. Stick to them and share them with the project team.
  • Set realistic cost parameters and, once you’ve chosen your manufacturer, agree a firm price.

Selecting the modular manufacturer

  • Visit the factory and make sure you are clear about how the modular system works, the controls that are in place, what happens and when – and of course the financial stability and experience of the manufacturer.
  • Ideally the manufacturer should have a track record in the healthcare sector and be familiar with all the issues – how to minimise disruption to patient care, the complexity of mechanical and electrical services, and so on.
  • Look for independent approvals for the modular building system such as quality, fire, acoustics and insurance. The system should be accredited by the BBA and the manufacturer should have ISO9001 approval for design, manufacturing and site works – not just one element – to ensure the whole process is quality controlled. Ask to see the certificates for verification.
  • Do not buy on price. Ensure you are comparing cost estimates that are like for like and that you are looking for best value – low running costs, low maintenance and longevity.
  • The modular system should be designed to minimise air leakage, conserve energy and prevent bacteria from entering. Ask the manufacturer for copies of test results.
  • Be exact and adamant that your specification is met.

Design consultation

  • The manufacturer should be willing to work as part of the client’s design team and participate in design workshops.
  • Modular construction is not restrictive in terms of design or layout. Consider claddings for a bespoke appearance or to match an existing facility and look at marrying together traditional and modular elements; for example, two modular buildings joined by a glazed atrium roof.
  • Ensure the design complies with NHS guidance – health technical memorandums and health building notes.
    www.yorkon.co.uk

Lighting the way

BRE’s Paul Littlefair and David Loe offer expert advice on what to consider when selecting your healthcare scheme’s lighting specification

Lighting is of critical importance in hospitals, as adequate light levels are essential for even the most basic tasks to be carried out. The CIBSE lighting guide Hospitals and Healthcare Buildings gives detailed guidance on the functional aspects of lighting for clinical areas. But the aesthetic aspect, including non-clinical areas such as receptions, corridors and waiting rooms, is also vital if spaces are to be attractive and welcoming. For these reasons, the Department of Health research and development programme has funded BRE and South Bank University to develop detailed guidance on the visual environment in hospitals. A publication, Lighting and Colour in Hospital Design, is being drafted and will be published later this year. The report will focus on daylight and electric lighting. As well as access to daylight, windows offer a view and contact with the outside. All three aspects can have a therapeutic effect on patients. Windows should therefore be sized and positioned to provide a good view out, as well as an average daylight factor of 2-5%. Good, controllable solar shading is essential. Electric lighting design determines the appearance of spaces by illuminating walls and ceilings. It also proves glare-free lighting for specific tasks. Lighting equipment should integrate with the architectural design of the building. Hospitals must also have emergency escape lighting that will switch on automatically in a power failure and some areas may need standby lighting to enable procedures to be continued or shut down safely. The use of energy-efficient lamps, ballasts and luminaires, with appropriate controls, can be highly cost-effective and help meet NHS energy targets. When lighting is planned, it is essential to consider the running costs over the life of the installation as well as its capital cost. A proper maintenance plan needs to be drawn up at the design stage and carried out at regular intervals to maintain a high quality visual environment. For more information, email littlefairp@bre.co.uk.

What’s the spec?

The Children’s Trust in Surrey has recently opened the Cheyne Centre, a therapy and education centre for children with multiple disabilities and complex health needs. Avanti Architects’ careful design has created a building that manages to be child-friendly as well as meeting the clinical and performance brief. As a charity, the Children’s Trust must spend its money wisely and to this end it proposed re-using the ground floor slab of a 1960s ward block. This meant that a lightweight timber and steel construction with a steel roof was specified. To meet the high acoustic performance requirements, insulation was used in conjunction with the render, Fermacell boards and acoustic ceiling panels. Floor to ceiling windows ensure the £1.5m building is flooded with natural light. Colour has been used throughout the building to create a vibrant atmosphere and to assist navigation. Bright spots on the flooring help children locate the various therapy and recreation rooms, themselves identified by different colours – for example, the recreational areas are red and the speech and language rooms yellow. The colour theme is carried through into the planting in the landscaped courtyard. The latest medical equipment has been specified, including a guided vehicle mobility system. This guides wheelchairs around the building using a magnetic strip, which is set into a channel in the screed and concealed with silicone sealant. Ceiling tracking is also provided in the physical therapy areas so that children can be easily moved between different sets of equipment. Architect Avanti Architects
Project director Claudia Bloom
Project architects Connie Grant, Elizabeth Devas
Associate architect Duncan Finch
Main contractor Haymills
Landscape architect Livingston Eyre

Hospitals