DESIGNING FOR PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY
The primary material chosen was brick, with cedar cladding, pitched roofs, and chimneys, evoking the designs of traditional homes.
technology that means clients can control the temperature, lighting, blinds, and television in their room, without additional assistance. Bedrooms also have overhead tracking to enable hoists to move easily from the bedroom to the en-suite bathroom. Some of the larger en-suite bedrooms also have a specially adapted mini kitchenette, so that clients can rebuild a greater variety of life skills, enabling each person to be as independent as possible. While some amenities – such as specially designed accessible showers and automated doors – are practicalities found in many similar facilities, other elements were tailored by the team to encourage a domestic vernacular to the centre. The primary building material chosen was brick, with cedar cladding, pitched roofs, and chimneys, evoking the designs of traditional homes not usually associated with a healthcare centre.
Natural finishes for ‘warmth’ Inside, natural finishes were used wherever possible to create a warm and welcoming feel. There is a limit to how much of the practical medical equipment necessary for such a specialist centre can
be designed away, but, as the team found, the earlier these requirements are understood and discussed, the earlier the design can be customised to incorporate them. The resulting connection to ‘home’ is just like the link to nature. These are essential, and often undervalued, parts of holistic care.
‘People first’ – considering the demands of all the users
While residential neuro-rehabilitation is the first priority of the centre – and this is reflected in the design – clients are not the only regular users of such a facility. The other major group using the space day to day is of course QEF’s multidisciplinary team. The project team applied our workplace and education design experience to the QEF brief. Offices are spacious, and as light-filled and airy as the rest of the centre – with equally good access to outdoor space and views of the relaxing natural surroundings. This model should be a template for other facilities; even those in more space-restricted urban environments. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown all of us the difficulties faced by frontline healthcare workers, and it is
only right that healthcare design takes their needs into account, just as it does the needs of patients and clients. It was also vital to consider both elements of life for clients: active therapy and care, and general recuperation. Therapy areas were deliberately separated from the residential accommodation to create distinct ‘rest’ and ‘work’ environments. Separating these facilities also gives QEF scope to provide separate outpatient access just to the therapy areas.
‘Creating a community’ – being part of something bigger
Broadening our appreciation of who utilises these spaces, and how, is part of a wider reimagining of healthcare design. It is about valuing more than just how many beds you can fit into a space; it is about ensuring that people are not isolated in any way. At the CRC, we wanted to build more of a community feeling into the centre to support long- term clients, day visitors, and employees. In the first instance, this meant breaking down and mapping out the identities of rooms and spaces to encourage social interaction. Social spaces were carefully positioned between residential areas, leading to the more fluid movement of people around the centre – not just an A-to-B ‘commute’ from bedrooms to dining and therapy spaces. Creating large intersections between these spaces was essential, with wide corridors featuring pause points and seating areas, so that spontaneous conversation and interaction are made easy.
Building friendships
All ground floor residential rooms have direct access to the outdoors, with the design of the centre set around two quads.
82 Health Estate Journal September 2021
This all helps clients to connect with one another and build friendships. Given that rehabilitation often takes months rather than days, it is vital to know that you are not alone – that others understand what you’re going though, and can support you. Design can never provide actual healthcare, but it can facilitate it, and help to enhance people’s mental wellbeing. This must be the overriding principle whenever we approach healthcare design.
©G Gardner
©G Gardner
©G Gardner
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