JDDK Hospice Designs Shortlisted for National Healthcare Awards
Award-winning Newcastle-based architects, Jane Darbyshire & David Kendall (JDDK) Ltd, have had two of their recent hospice projects shortlisted for the prestigious Building Better Healthcare (BBH) Awards 2010 in the Social Care Design category.
Both the Marie Curie Hospice in Glasgow and the Day Services Outpatient Suite at St Oswald’s Hospice in Newcastle have been shortlisted for the awards which recognize excellence in design with the main criteria for the Social Care category being, “An outstanding project that provides a supportive environment for social care in either a residential or end-of-life setting. The project should address the needs of the patient and their families and carers.”
Glasgow’s new £16m Marie Curie Hospice opened its doors to patients for the first time in January this year, replacing the existing 1970’s hospice. Built on a steeply sloping site within the campus of Stobhill Hospital on the north east edge of Glasgow, the hospice provides space for thirty in-patients, a day hospice and outpatients suite, training and education spaces for health professionals, a regional base for staff working in the community, and all the supporting accommodation.
With a wonderful outlook towards the Campsie Fells from the upper parts of its slope, where the new patient bedrooms have been located to take advantage of the view, the building is split over three different floor levels, each with garden access taking advantage of the slope. At the lowest level, the Day Hospice is close to the main entrance and with a sheltered south facing garden terrace forming a sun trap, to make the best of a Scottish summer.
The £2.8m Day Services Outpatient Suite is the fifth phase of Newcastle’s St Oswald’s Hospice with which JDDK have been involved, starting with the design of the original Hospice in 1987.
The new three storey development completes a large west facing garden space and shields the existing single storey hospice buildings from the four and five storey recently built office blocks next door. It includes eight purpose-built treatment and therapy rooms, a patient assessment room, a dedicated reception area and a patient and carer information point. There is also a dedicated first floor for clinical and medical staff to work from.
The building was designed with a particular emphasis on sustainable principles and based around a central atrium providing natural light and ventilation into the bright and airy heart of the building.
Ian Clarke, Director of JDDK, commented, “Considering the quality of the record number (165) of entries, we’re obviously delighted that our schemes have been shortlisted in such prestigious company such as Sir Norman Foster’s practice and internationally known facilities such as Great Ormond Street.”
“Whilst the two schemes differ in scale, the design principles behind them are the same, with evidence-based design creating humane, welcoming buildings that not only embrace excellent healthcare functionality and technology, but also work in the real world of tight budgets, demanding functionality and challenging sites, and most importantly work well on the ground for patients, families and staff.”
