Health - a Community Issue

Producing architecture for the health sector has a lot in common with community architecture, in that a high proportion of the people using such buildings have little say in their conception and yet are often the most important users. It is well known that an attractive, well-daylit, naturally-ventilated building environment can contribute significantly to patient recovery, which is why we aim to produce 'buildings for health' rather than 'buildings for sick people'. Our approach to the briefing for such projects therefore is in many ways similar to our approach to community architecture, often involving extensive consultation with user groups as well as with the relevant technical client representatives.

Issues of privacy, dignity and general well-being can be as important to patients and other building users (including visitors and staff) as more specific clinical issues, even within acute care facilities.

Technical Performance

However, a congenial environment without technical performance would be futile, and our experience in developing a wide variety of health facilities - this includes health centres and GP surgeries, respite centres, district general hospital or community hospitals work, mental health - relies on strong working understanding of formal technical requirements (eg Hospital Building Notes, Health Technical Memoranda) and collaborative working with NHS departmental staff, specialist consultants and specialist contractors/suppliers, whether through traditional procurement methods or through PFI, Partnering or "Procure 21+" routes.

Our work in the health sector has ranged in scale from alterations within a single GP consulting room through to master-planning for major district general hospital development and all levels between, but the need for careful balancing of technical requirements and a health-enhancing architectural environment is common to all.