St Andrews Community Hospital and Health Centre in St. Andrews, United Kingdom

June 16, 2010 Category: Commercial Building, Hospital

Located in St. Andrews, United Kingdom, St Andrews Community Hospital and Health Centre was designed by Ryder Architecture. The new hospital provides an uplifting environment, designed to support new forms of integrated service delivery in the community. It is a series of two storey pavilions sitting comfortably in the scale of the historic town. This arrangement maximises natural daylight, ventilation and views. The departments are arranged around a central two-storey hub, simplifying patient wayfinding and easing staff flow. In-patient accommodation is on one level with access to secure gardens.

The building maximises flexibility, promotes integration of staff of all disciplines / agencies and provides ease of access to services for all sections of the community. 20% expansion space has been provided within the building envelope, and extension opportunities for a further 20% of expansion have been identified. Generic room layouts allow multi-discipline use. Energy efficiency measures include ground source heat pumps, high efficiency heat recovery, micro combined heat and power plant and automated lighting controls.

As well as acting as the main communication space, the hub is a meeting place for patients and staff, who welcome the improved contact they have in this area. It has a galleried upper floor with roof lights and full height curtain walling. At the upper level there is a café with views to the town and St Andrews’ Bay. The design ensures close adjacency of services supporting integration. The functional areas are interconnected via the diagnostic and treatment area, accessed by all groups.

Facilities include in-patient services and wards, active care area, diagnostic and treatment area, three GP practices. The patient environment is improved preserving dignity, ensuring privacy and promoting safety. Immediate referrals can be made by GPs to diagnostics services. Renal patients have a local service and no longer have to travel for treatment. Community meeting rooms are available for all health related meetings. Co-ordination between local health and social care organisations has improved.

St Andrews Community Hospital and Health Centre by Ryder Architecture