ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN


users to create the artwork strategy for the building. A consultation session exploring image association for the local towns and villages that lend the six wards their names became the focus for the designs. Reflecting the theme of the Northumberland countryside, imagery was selected which focused on the region’s flora and fauna, together with well- known landmarks and scenes such as the Berwick walls and the Rothbury shops. Each ward block has its own identity, featuring a scene, symbols, and poetry. To unify the scheme, the imagery from across the wards appears in the artwork of the timber cladding in the public café area. The graphics for the large ward signs take inspiration from vintage British Rail Railway posters from around the 1950s, which were used to promote the region as a destination.


Providing long-term value Sycamore has taken five years to deliver, and represents a major capital project for the Trust. Such an investment comes with the responsibility to look to the future, and ensure that the building can adapt to serve the needs of the Trust and its service-users for many years to come. Standardised rooms and ward layouts ensure that services are able to easily flex and change, to ensure the long-term flexibility of the facility. Future adaptability has been ensured by assessing the potential need for future extensions and internal reorganisations, and then ensuring that the construction and structure will allow these alterations. All the materials used were specified with an eye on how they are dismantled, disposed of, recycled, and re-purposed, supporting a ‘cradle to cradle’ lifecycle approach. Materials have been selected to provide


a domestic and non-institutional feel while ensuring robustness. In-situ room mock- ups were used for physical testing to provide greater assurance of the suitability and long-term durability of the integrated joinery elements and the anti-ligature fixtures and fittings. Environmental sustainability was


considered from the very outset of the project – with a ‘fabric first’ approach taken, getting the passive performance right to reduce the potential energy demand. As a result, the building airtightness performance achieves significant improvement against hospital benchmark standards. Following an assessment of possible options, two forms of renewable energy source have been used: air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels. These have been combined with energy- efficient combined heat and power plant installations. The large, flat, building roofs have been optimised to provide a platform for an extensive photovoltaic panel array. To support rainwater attenuation across the hospital site, the design features permeable paving and a series of SUDS attenuation ponds that support wetland


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The transition from private bedroom to shared circulation and day spaces has been considered ‘to provide a reassuring path into more stimulating environments’.


meadow wildflowers and associated wildlife. Within the main courtyard a large rain garden supports an integrated approach to water management. The Sycamore project was instigated


in 2018, so it was one of the earliest major projects in the country to be measured against the latest BREEAM New Construction 2018 methodology. It is expected to achieve the targeted ‘Excellent’ standard. Since then, the launch of the NHS Net Zero Building Standard has mandated many of the optional targets within BREEAM 2018. Because the project has also achieved an energy performance certificate (EPC) ‘A’ rating, it performs well against these recent requirements, despite its long gestation.


Setting a new standard for forensic mental health The first patients moved into the building last October, and the initial feedback has been extremely positive. John Carson, head of Capital Development at NTW Solutions, recently said: “This has been a fantastic scheme to deliver for CNTW, and there was a true team spirit with all involved, especially with the clinical teams on site. That teamwork has paid off, and it is inspiring to see the unit in use, and heartening to hear the early feedback from clinicians about the


Paul Yeomans


Paul Yeomans is a director of Medical Architecture, and a highly skilled and experienced healthcare designer with over 17 years’ specialised experience. He brings an approach to design that values improved clinical outcomes and enhances the human experience of treatment and care. In 2022, he was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts for his leadership in healthcare design. He has led the design of multiple award-winning buildings, including Hopewood Park Hospital in Sunderland, and The Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre in Hull. His project portfolio has received awards from RIBA, Building Better Healthcare, Design in Mental Health, and the International Academy for Design & Health.


MAY 2024 | THE NETWORK


quality of the accommodation. This is a flagship development, and it has set a new standard, not just for our future projects, but for the whole mental health sector.” Reflecting on the ambition to


create a meaningful day for all patients through the combination of indoor and outdoor settings for activity, Dennis Davison, associate director, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, said: “One thing that became very clear during the pandemic was that providing access to outside space in an inpatient mental health setting can be incredibly difficult. However, we wanted to build that into the design. Sycamore is the culmination of so much best practice and research, offering outstanding facilities for our staff and the people we care for.” From a personal perspective, it is


fantastic to see this important project realised. The technical requirements for forensic mental health buildings, particularly with regards to security, can present challenges to the creation of supportive and recovery-focused environments. However, standing in the thriving central courtyard, it is hard to tell you are in the middle of a forensic hospital. That normalising of the accommodation will have such a positive impact on patient wellbeing.


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Medical Architecture


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