FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTHCARE


Each patient group is accommodated in distinctive buildings, which are carefully planned to maximise the safety, privacy, and dignity of individuals.


with the flexibility to adapt to future changes in service delivery. The hospital accommodates 170 high, medium, and low secure mental health beds, with dedicated facilities for male and female adults, children and young people, and patients with a learning disability. The 13-hectare site that was selected for


the new facility is in the St. Ita’s Hospital Complex in Portrane, County Dublin, north of Dublin. The site is enclosed to the north, west, and south, by dense woodland, with areas of grassland and wetland beyond it, and coastal views to the east. With over 24,000 m2


of accommodation required


within the site, the hospital was conceived as a small village to break down the overall scale of development, creating a less intimidating and more normalised environment. Approached through an attractive public plaza, the civic entrance building provides a single gateway to the safe and secure campus. Incorporating high-ceilinged spaces, daylight, high quality materials, and large-scale artwork,


Interior spaces feature measures to reduce noise and resulting stress – through discreet integration of out-of-reach acoustic panels.


it provides a positive and reassuring first impression to patients, visitors, and members of staff, reflecting the quality and standard of care provided.


A therapeutic landscape for meaningful activity Located in an attractive woodland setting, the hospital has been planned to promote social interaction, preventing boredom in those undergoing long-term care, and providing opportunities for service-users to engage with the world around them. The inpatient wards partially form a secure internal perimeter around a landscaped ‘village green’ that allows patients to access shared spaces more independently, in a normalised environment, with an absence of secure fences. Provisions for logistical services and security have been located around the site perimeter, to minimise disruption to this therapeutic space. An accessible ‘village centre’ provides a focal point, with shared spaces for therapy, art, woodwork, cooking, music,


sports, exercise, recreation, and worship. It also includes a small health centre, a hairdresser’s, library, café, and dedicated external horticultural area. To shelter from the prevailing south-westerly winds, the buildings are nestled in amongst the woodland, and orientated to the north, south, and east. This makes the ‘village green’ a more pleasant year-round space.


Distinctive buildings Each patient group is accommodated in distinctive buildings, which are carefully planned to maximise the safety, privacy, and dignity of individuals. Each ward entrance has direct views to a natural landscape, creating a positive first impression. Within the wards, generous glazing offers views into a series of internal courtyards and perimeter gardens, as well as providing opportunities for passive observation. This also provides plentiful daylight, further enhanced by rooflights. A large multi-functional space is located between paired wards, which provides an area for family visiting and communal activities. Indoor and outdoor exercise equipment on each ward provides opportunities to improve physical health and mental wellbeing, while outdoor spaces are sheltered from rain, wind, and sun, to be useful in all seasons. To limit the need for artificial lighting,


window sizes were calculated to maximise daylight, while minimising overheating and glare. All occupied areas have occupant- controlled shading systems. Minimal mechanical ventilation is employed, and nearly all rooms have natural ventilation, so patients feel better connected to the surrounding woodland.


A floorplan of one of the typical inpatient buildings at the new hospital. THE NETWORK | FEBRUARY 2023


Discrete features for safety and security The size and complexity of the scheme created particular security challenges, including the logistics of large staff shift changes, ensuring the hospital and building perimeter met various security standards in an efficient manner, and how common facilities could be shared without compromising the security and


21


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40