special report: care homes & sheltered housing 19
Raising the bar
At a time when there is much in the news about poor and deteriorating standards of care for the elderly, it is good to be reminded that there are architects and commissioners of care facilities that are committed to providing inno- vative, high quality accommodation, with the best standards of care.
N
orth Hertfordshire Homes’ Temple Court flexicare housing scheme in Baldock, which has already won a regional National
Housing Federation award, has just been short- listed for a Healthcare Design Award. Architect Colin Smart, of Kyle Smart Associates,
says: “The brief to us from North Hertford-shire Homes was simple: create state-of-the-art flexicare older persons accommodation for existing resi- dents, living in an outdated building on an adjoining site and provide a good selec- tion of affordable family housing with mixed tenure around it that people will want to live in. The brief was fulfilled by consulting and working in partnership with potential residents, the local community and other stakeholders. North Hertfordshire Homes was clear that the design had to be of the highest quality and that the large site was to provide a long term sustainable community both in social and environmental terms.” Kyle Smart Associates worked in partnership
with North Hertfordshire Homes, Hertfordshire County Council and developer Hill Partnerships to
create Temple Court, which offers 36 super-sized flats, as well as communal facilities designed to encourage interaction. These include a dining room, lounge space, hairdressing salon, treat- ment room, computer suite, guest suite, conser- vatory and garden complete with fountain. The common areas are all fed from a central atrium with a feature circular roof lantern. The design is modern, with an emphasis on
‘The building meets
Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes’
light and stimulating space. All flats have immedi- ate access to outdoor space, as balconies are included for those not on the ground floor. The accommodation, which is designed for the over 55s, is rich with assisted living features to enable residents who develop mobility and care needs as they get older, to continue to live there. Each of the three storeys are painted a different colour to assist the residents with orientation. Every flat has a shower, but there are also three bathing spas, each fitted with a different kind of bath for use by residents with different levels of agility. The flats can also have an additional room
added if required. Crucially, Temple Court was designed in consul-
tation with residents, to ensure it fully met their requirements. Architect Colin Smart had plenty of ideas about features he wanted to see included that he felt would increase well-being, without blowing the budget. “These things don’t neces- sarily cost more if you think about them early on and design them in,” he says. “Yet they make a
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huge difference to the quality of life for people living there.” One example, which North Hertfordshire
Homes was happy to adopt in spite of it costing slightly more, was the inclusion of a window in each flat that looks out from the kitchen onto the hallway. “It helps people to feel less isolated and increases the sense of living in a community,” explains Colin. “Residents can interact with neigh- bours and notice changes such as prolonged absences, which may be a cause for concern.” The building meets Level 4 of the Code for
Sustainable Homes, incorporating energy saving measures and benefiting from high levels of thermal insulation. The introduction of sustainable drainage, sedum grass roof, photovoltaic panels, low energy fresh air system and combined heat
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