ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN Kevin O’Neill
Kevin O’Neill started his architectural career studying at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2005. Since joining HLM in 2014, he has developed extensive experience, specialising in the design and delivery of complex healthcare projects. He says he is particularly proud to have been significantly involved in the Altnagelvin North Wing development, located in his hometown of Derry in Northern Ireland. Qualifying as an Architect in 2017, he fulfilled the role of the Project site architect during the construction stages of the project.
He was subsequently able to apply the knowledge and skills he developed throughout the North Wing contract on further healthcare projects, such as the National Children’s Hospital Satellite Centres in Dublin, and working within the HLM+LD EoT group of companies internationally, on the ‘Our Hospital Project’ in Jersey.
accommodate patients who may have secondary underlying conditions such as dementia.
Cognitive and perceptual issues addressed At Altnagelvin, we researched the key characteristics of cognitive and perceptual issues, and actively introduced solutions into the design. The new wing’s integrated wayfinding strategy relies on the use of colour to identify routes and enable a more intuitive and cohesive flow through various spaces, based
on nuances of human psychology. For instance, strong contrasting borders on the floors work to subconsciously direct patients to enter certain rooms, while demarcating boundaries for others (i.e., utility or specialist rooms intended for staff access only). This is complemented by the integration of art features throughout, as a way of creating an even more stimulating, inspiring, and attractive space that is conducive to healing and positivity.
One thing that is becoming abundantly clear is that outdated planning and design
principles can no longer cater to the ever-evolving and fast-changing needs of the country’s healthcare sector. We are learning more and more about how the design of healthcare facilities can create a calming and aesthetically pleasing environment, thereby strengthening the therapeutic effects of hospital settings. Incorporating greater efficiencies in space planning, and re-thinking our approach to the layout of wards, can support the provision of high-quality healthcare, while making more appealing spaces with the potential to bring significant and diverse benefits to all building users. For this to happen, we must move past old views of how hospitals should look, and open ourselves up to the possibilities and far-reaching advantages of embracing pioneering new design solutions.
References 1 NHS Forest website: ‘Tree planting in hospitals’.
https://nhsforest.org/green- your-site/tree-planting/
2 NHS Digital – ‘NHS Vacancy Statistics England April 2015 – September 2022 Experimental Statistics’. https://tinyurl. com/ms28m9ym
3 Department of Health, Northern Ireland. ‘Swann announces design plan initiative for reshaping hospital care’, 16 June 2022.
https://tinyurl.com/5x4h4mfw
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April 2023 Health Estate Journal 53
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