ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
Above: Teaching space within the nursing school.
Above right: First floor eating space.
out the strategy encompassing both WELL and BREEAM requirements, and the testing and analysis needed. Indoor air quality was required to be tested on completion to meet thresholds for particulate matter, and will continue to be tested going forwards, with results to be recorded and shared to ensure that the WELL certification is maintained. To achieve acceptable air quality levels, P+HS needed to pay close attention to the specification of no or low-VOC finishes – including paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and flooring. Furnishings were also certified to standards which recognise low-VOC content of materials, which meant working closely with the furniture designer to make sure that these requirements were met, as well as achieving the overall look we were aiming for.
Smoke-free environment A ‘no-smoking’ policy inside and outside the building contributes to the air quality by creating a smoke-free environment, and helpfully this is a policy already in place here as part of the hospital campus. For the ‘Source Separation’ feature we were required to consider the layout and adjacency of spaces; potential ‘pollution’ within the building is managed through separating spaces such as bathrooms, kitchens, and cleaners’ stores from all regularly occupied areas with vestibules or self-closing doors. ‘Pollution Infiltration Management’ is a WELL feature
A first floor breakout area.
which aims to minimise the introduction of pollutants from outside through the building envelope and entrance. In response to this, lobbies are included to slow air movement from outdoors to indoors, and correctly specified entrance matting is used to reduce dirt being brought into the building. This is combined with operational policies in relation to cleaning of these areas. Also relevant to this feature, we were required to demonstrate detailing of the building
envelope in relation to the target airtightness level.
Air quality was
also important during the construction itself. Due to the nature of construction and refurbishment activities, the contractor, Meldrum, had to
54 Health Estate Journal June 2025
ensure that all pollution sources were kept to a minimum during construction activities. Nothing unusual for a project of this nature, a deep clean was required prior to occupancy to remove any particulates that were generated during construction and fit-out. There were also some important aspects relating to air quality, which formed part of the M&E consultant, Wilson Gray’s design, which we needed to coordinate with. The system is designed to ensure that no clean air is contaminated by dirty extract air, and also to allow flexibility for user control. It also benefits from CO2
along with filters to control airborne particulate matter thresholds.
n Water The Water concept area encompasses a wide range of considerations. A pertinent topic currently, given recent updated guidance on water safety in healthcare buildings, water quality was an important consideration in working to the standard. Water supplied to the building needed to be tested for organic contaminants, inorganic contaminants, agricultural pollutants, excess of public water additives, sediments, and microorganisms. Testing was required to be carried out prior to completion, and will also continue quarterly going forwards, with the results shared with IWBI. Availability of drinking water, and promotion of this, is a WELL feature which P+HS needed to address during the design process; with a requirement for drinking water points to be easily accessible, and within a 30-metre walk of all occupied spaces, to encourage occupants to drink water regularly. Water dispensers were required to be specified with a piped water supply, and to be suitable for bottle filling to ensure that they are practical for building users. ‘Moisture Management’ is a feature within the water concept which looks at the design of the building envelope – to assess potential water vapour transfer and detailing of the moisture- resistant barrier within the wall build-up, to avoid interstitial moisture build-up. The design of entryways also needed to take into consideration strategies to minimise ingress of water into the building. This comprises surface water drainage adjacent to entrances, entrance canopies, and lobbies with barrier matting. The site drainage design and strategy for storm water drainage within the civil engineer’s design was important too, in preventing ponding water potentially entering the building.
n Nourishment The WELL Nourishment concept is intended to encourage the creation of food environments where the ‘healthiest choice is the easiest choice’.2
This requires availability of
healthy food such as fruit and vegetables, and nutritional transparency for the food on offer.
sensors,
Assura plc
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
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