Joe Stenson from our Leeds office has been awarded a Merit in design for his Part II thesis. Joe says:
“heartiest of thanks to all staff for the help and support offered to me throughout the “hard fought slog” – (Geraldine) that was my Part II. The feedback and commentary received from colleagues throughout were invaluable to the general design process.”
Joe’s scheme is a Crematorium complex that amalgamates the existing facilities in the Leeds metropolitan area onto a secluded site bordered by the River Aire and the Leeds / Liverpool Canal. Key to the thesis was investigating the provision of bespoke buildings for semi-outdoor cremations, as required by those of Hindu, Sikh & Buddhist following. A few images of the scheme are shown here:

The Final boards Joe presented are available here: X:\Resources\Students\Presentations\JJS Thesis Boards if you are interested.
Congratulations Joe.

Note that whereas HBN40 ‘Common Activity Spaces Vol:2 Treatment Areas’ (now superseded) set the height of a clinical basin at 860mm to the rim, HBN 00-03 ‘Clinical and Clinical Support Spaces’ now sets the height at 800mm.

Construction has started on Porch Close (The Ardens) in Northallerton for Broadacres Housing Association. Accommodation comprises 10 apartments for rent to people over the age of 55. The project is due to be completed in February 2011.

The site is located to the rear of Porch House, the oldest house in Northallerton, and falls within the conservaton area. The building is largely traditional in appearance with some modern features such as the double height curtain walling and a glazed canopy to the entrance.

The building will achieve Level 3 under the Code for Sustainable Homes, using solar panels for water heating and high standards of thermal insulation. Each apartment has also been designed to meet Lifetime Homes, with full disabled access and storage for mobility scooters within the hall.

One of me because Steve will be disappointed if I don’t include this photo!

More updates to follow as work progresses…

As part of BREEAM and guidance from ‘The art of good health - Using visual arts in healthcare’ document, I have created a set of A3 presentation sheets with Artists that have worked with P+HS in the past and a range of new artist have been created for future reference. It’s a starting point and one that can help for future projects.

These presentation sheets have been created following input from the LINAC arts coordinator Mr. Chris Potter and James Gordon.

Artist in this project:
Shona Kitchen
Julia Barton
Kisa Kawakami

Artist:
Shelagh Wakely

Arists:
David Harben
Blow Zone
GA Aquatic

These are just some examples of what we proposed to our client at Nottingham City Campus for the new LINAC Facility.

For those in P+HS interested in seeing all the presentation sheets please access our intranet and check out Operations / Technical page.

The shortlist for the Building Better Healthcare Awards has been announced, and we’re on it!

Washington Primary Care Centre is shortlisted in the Best Primary Care Design category: developed for Sunderland Teaching PCT with Laing O’Rourke, this superb building is certainly attracting attention and recently scooped the award for Best Healthcare Building at the Northern LABC awards.
To see the full shortlist for Building Better Healthcare 2009 clickhere.

Richard Waite, AJ News Editor, has noticed that Leeds Met has changed its approach to teaching architecture and the shift is bearing fruit. At the recent select exhibition for the school’s end-of-year show, Richard said “the projects closest to the door, drawn up by post-graduate students, are impressive…Tom Potter has created a sweet, colonnaded Chipperfield-esque model for a micro brewery in Leeds.” Nice one Tom

Seaham Health Centre has received Planning Approval from County Durham.

Procured through LIFT with Accent and CP25 the new health centre will provide “state of the art” primary care in Seaham. It’s been designed as part of a new Public Realm for St John’s Square, which will include a new park, Library and office space. The project is due to start on site in early 2010.

Once again, P+HS have excelled themselves at the LABC Northern Region Building Excellence Awards.  In a glittering ceremony, P+HS  received two commendations for Eaglescliffe Health Centre (with Tolent Construction) and Wrekenton Health Centre (with Laing O’Rourke), and won the Best Healthcare Building overall for Washington Primary Care Centre (also with Laing O’Rourke).   Washington will now go through to the National LABC Awards later in the year.  Congratulations to all involved.  The results were as follows:

Washington Primary Care Centre for Sunderland Teaching PCT- Best Healthcare Building - Overall Winner

Wrekenton Health Centre for Sunderland Teaching PCT - Commended

Eaglescliffe Health Centre for Abstract Integrated Healthcare - Commended

Here’s a novel response to the ongoing MPs expenses fiasco: An architectural design competition to find a housing solution for MPs in Westminster and in their constituencies.

Download the brief here: http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/J…ion%20Pack.pdf

Additional information here: http://commonofhouses.blogspot.com/

   

Eaglescliffe Medical Centre was officially opened on Tuesday 5th May. Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson was the guest of honour at a well attended ceremony with representatives from all the building’s stakeholders. The Centre was developed by Abstract Integrated Healthcare and constructed by Tolent. One of the senior GP’s, Krysia Ellenger, described her feelings about the new building designed by the P+HS team.

” Just what the doctor ordered ! A building that so intimately reflects our vision and our ethos . A place of light, of healing, of comfort. A building that exudes quality, calmness and soothes pain. A building that is ambitious, that reflects the modernity of medicine, of ever expanding knowledge and yet it embraces the human side. A building that encourages wisdom, is kind to the soul and has context . ”

I think that sums it up! It’s a great example of team working delivering clients’ aspirations. Well done to everyone involved.
Photography by Doug Jackson

  

Photographs of the recently completed health centre at Wrekenton, Tyne & Wear.

The 1500sqm building has a prominent street frontage on one of the main routes into the town and contains accommodation for a local GP practice along with new pharmacy, dental, podiatry and minor ops facilities.

Client: Sunderland TPCT     Contractor: Laing O’Rouke

Here’s a link to EcoSalon’s list of 17 green roofs from around the world.

Interesting to flick through for 5 minutes and don’t worry, there’s some more modern stuff than the house shown above in there too.

I came across this article by Hugh Pearman in The Sunday Times.
It has some information on the exhibitions and reveals that both architects had more in common than you might think at first glance.

Hugh Pearman’s website has a collection of writing on architecture.

Eight units for Home Group have been completed. Built in partnership with STG, the development of two bed bungalows and two and three bed houses adds to six units designed by P+HS over 10years ago.

P+HS have recently submitted a planning application for a new single storey extension to the existing hospital. Accommodation consists of 11 new consultant rooms, physio treatment rooms and a new gym. A double height space from reception links the two wings, providing a more appealing waiting space for patients and visitors.
Materials consist of white render, white Lignacite blocks and horizontal timber cladding. From above, a sedum roof will help blend the building into the existing greenbelt landscape.
Graphics : Chris Lawes