New builds
Designing care homes for dignity, sustainability and quality
Care home design priorities have evolved towards a greater focus on achieving better wellbeing outcomes alongside regulatory compliance. Clare Cameron explains how this shift was realised in a recent new development for Barchester in Stourbridge.
The key considerations when designing care settings have rightly shifted in recent years. Rather than prioritising compliance and capacity there is a greater focus on how people live, feel, and connect in our buildings. There is an appreciation that design can actively support dignity, independence and enhance the quality of life for residents, while also working operationally for staff and investors. Harris Irwin Architects have delivered
over 60 care homes in the past 13 years, working predominantly in the later-living and care sectors. One of our long-standing partners is Barchester Healthcare, with whom we’ve delivered at least 28 projects. Using their ‘Iverley View’ scheme, in
Stourbridge, as a case study can illustrate practical design approaches that operators and suppliers can adopt, or benchmark against, when developing or refurbishing care homes.
Getting the basics right: site, scale and character Iverley View is a 55-bed care home on a tight, residential site south of Stourbridge. Barchester’s preferred model is typically 70 beds for new-build schemes, but here the constraints of the plot and surrounding housing necessitated a more compact design to ensure the building responded positively to its site and context. The key design priority was to ensure
the development respected the scale and style of neighbouring properties. Located within a residential development, massing and roof form were carefully stepped and modelled to create a domestic feel rather than an institutional aesthetic. We deliberately avoided a traditional ‘care home’ look, instead, taking cues from the local vernacular – brick types, roof pitches, window proportions – so that the building
blends seamlessly in its surroundings. The entrance design was clearly
identifiable, accessible and welcoming, making it easier for those who visit, live or work in the building to navigate. This reduces anxiety and provides a positive arrival experience. The building’s V-shaped footprint and
necessary parking left a relatively modest amount of site for use as the garden. It was therefore imperative that every square metre of external space was maximised to work as hard as possible for the wellbeing of residents.
Planning for privacy and dignity from the ground up Privacy and dignity should be determined by the fundamental layout of the building, rather than features that are added as an afterthought. Central to this approach is separating ‘front’ and ‘back of house’ (BOH) functions.
September 2026
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com 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 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
