SPECIALIST FACILITIES
Each ground floor incorporates facilities including a ‘games’ room.
has also seen all the existing doors – 800 mm wide, and thus not conducive to wheelchair access – replaced with wider doors. We have also incorporated a new ADL kitchen with wider access, which will allow residents and staff to eat together in a more domestic environment. There is an entirely new colour strategy to make the living environment bright and homely.” This, Alex Caruso explained, has seen each bedroom afforded its own identity colour, reflected in the walls, doors, and feature areas. He explained: “Initially we looked at more subdued colours, but as the members accommodated at Fossdale House and Langdale House will be young, we in the end selected vibrant colours – including reds, oranges, blues, and purples.” He added: “The existing en suite bathrooms were non-accessible, for instance with a non-raised shower base, so we replaced this with a wetroom for all the en suites, and also replaced some of the sanitaryware accordingly. Through our existing contacts at shower manufacturers we got some changes made to controls, to suit the members who will live in the Market Weighton facility. For example, Bristan has provided contrasting shower backplates at our request in supplying its Gummers TS1503 Opac Lever shower controls.”
Lighting improved
The architect continued: “We have also replaced the existing lighting with LED lights, which provide much improved illumination. Prior to our contractor, Tokenspire, going in, the interior was already a rehabilitation environment but, for example, had an all-magnolia colour scheme, and thus no domestic feel. The layout needed fairly minimal changes; the main alterations entailed making the en suite bathrooms more accessible, incorporating the lifts, and work on the kitchens. We have reprovided the bedrooms, albeit with considerably enhanced accessibility, through the installation of wider solid core doors from a local joinery company, with a 20 N
50 Health Estate Journal May 2019
The sensory rooms incorporate ‘blackout’ blinds and special lighting to help introduce positive distraction.
opening force, while for enhanced impact protection we have used SDS Protection internal cladding throughout corridors and on the bottom half of doors.
Artwork selection
Other internal design work, Alex Caruso explained, included careful selectin of artwork and soft furnishings to complement the internal colour scheme and features. “Structurally,” he explained, “the key elements included opening up all of the doors, and installing the lift. Via our own investigations we discovered that all the load-bearing walls were timber-framed, which made the structural alterations less demanding. “There are now three ground floor lounges – one specifically a games room, while a former ‘extra care’ room has been converted into a sensory room, plus an office, the ADL kitchen, and an assisted bathroom. The upper floor houses six bedrooms, all with their own en suite facilities, plus a communal bathroom equipped with a bath incorporating ‘spa’ features, supplied by Gainsborough, and accessible by a hoist, plus an assisted shower and toilet.”
Sensory room features
One of the other features considered key for this user group was a sensory room. The sensory rooms provided at Fossdale and Langdale House feature an interactive screen which provides a range of audio- visual and communication facilities for residents – from the ability to watch films, access the Internet, and view scenes of nature and landscapes, to the facility to draw, write notes or lists, or make calls. The sensory rooms incorporate ‘blackout’ blinds and special lighting, which projects different colours, patterns, and sequences, to help introduce positive distraction. Looking at the two buildings’ broader design ethos, Alex Caruso said: “Being a complex needs facility, the focus was not on actually on anti-ligature design; it was more about creating space, and a vibrant, uplifting environment that would appeal to the residents. The furniture we have selected was chosen for its domestic feel, but had also to be robust and hard- wearing.”
Overriding feeling
Alex Caruso said his overriding feeling was that this had been ‘a very interesting project to work on’ – particularly in terms of understanding the needs of the user group, and the challenges they and their carers face. He expanded: “The conversations with Mary-Jane particularly – to understand to what extent we needed to bring in levels of robustness, anti-ligature, and colours – was eye-opening. With a low maintenance environment key, we also had to think about finishes; for instance the bedrooms feature a ‘wipe-clean’ textured wall from Origin, while all floors in the communal areas from Tarkett are vinyl. The bedrooms incorporate foam- backed carpets from Birch Carpets. We carefully considered LRV values for each transitional and contrasting area, to ensure that light reflectance values were within 10 per cent.”
Josie, a support worker, with one of the members.
To differentiate the two buildings externally, Alex Caruso explained that the
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