A New Model of Care for Northern Ireland & UK : Omagh Hospital & Primary Care Complex
TODD Architects delivered the new Omagh Hospital & Primary Care Complex in May 2017, on a greenfield site on the outskirts of the town. This fresh and innovative new facility is the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland, in that it offers acute, primary and general practitioner services all at one strategically designed destination. This unique model of care is partially moulded in response to the latest national healthcare reports and future initiatives to reduce waiting times, while also crucially focusing on aiding patient’s recovery and wellbeing. Through both its design aesthetics and fundamental layout, which include courtyard gardens and balconies, this facility represents the progressive evolvement in the approach to contemporary healthcare design.
Design for Healing
Hospitals aesthetics are steadily evolving; revaluating patients’ needs and refining what exactly can be incorporated to aid recovery and the rehabilitation process. Recent medical research suggests well-being in care complexes strongly correlates with attractive indoor and outdoor environments and social interactions. While an imperative design focus is to integrate the latest and most adaptable medical treatment facilities and equipment, there is also the civic, social and cultural duty to respond to these emerging needs of patients, visitors and staff.
Responsive to this research, Omagh Hospital + Primary Care Complex flies the flag for the next generation of progressive hospital care, taking a more holistic approach in its wayfinding strategy and in designing a ‘healing environment’.
Design objectives included the maximising of natural light, reducing running costs and the assimilation of the holistic exteriors into the interiors. The outer facing glazed areas of the building provide panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, with individual patient wards benefitting from this further via access to balconies. Active public realms on the campus include open-plan break-out areas, courtyard gardens and an expansive atrium foyer with reception, department wayfinding, retail, café and community meeting facilities.
Architecture
Architecturally the scheme has been conceived with vernacular influences, particularly in the approach to the overall scale and mass where the various key components have been grouped into defined and legible elements, linked with light glazed enclosed links; a connecting ‘streets’ and a main glazed foyer space.
Visual presence was a key architectural factor with the new building’s materiality, form and structure carefully designed to seamlessly blend into the tonal topographic palette of the country landscape, while also appearing prominent enough to showcase a sense of presence and engender an appropriate level of civic pride.
The approach to the overall scale and mass of the building is that of a linear two and three-storey configuration of connected pavilions, enclosing a series of courtyard gardens. This design approach visually reduces the mass and scale and in turn enables a range of views ‘to’, ‘from’ and ‘between’ the main blocks to the internal courtyards and beyond to the external surroundings, enhancing the user and visitor experience.
The scheme includes a palette of warm, rich materials, including, brick, glass, aluminium cladding with brick forming the key components of the external design, contributing to the project sustainability and permanence.
Sustainability
In terms of sustainability, Omagh Hospital & PCC design approach was based on ‘first principles’, where the building has the appropriate orientation, situation and massing, coupled with a design to maximise natural light and reduce running costs.
TODD Architects designed the building in partnership with specialist engineers, aiming to achieve the most energy efficient design possible, through a form and fabric which reduces the amount of heating and cooling energy required to meet climatic comfort conditions.
At project design stage, a thermal dynamic modelling software was developed, IES compliance software and a block model to generate nearly 50 different building and energy scenarios. This assisted in achieving the optimum solutions.
Orientation / Layout
The interlinked pavilions each define individual departments, with two main entrances; a front of house glazed atrium with public foyer facilities and a side Urgent Care ambulance entrance.
All areas are accessible from these two main entrances, which in turn are connected by the glazed hospital streets. This layout was conceived to aid efficiency of functionality, guide and orientate patients, visitors and staff, while also creating a natural flow through the building, in terms of a patient’s stages of treatment. This principle is further extended to the individual departments where each section is colour coded by signage and furnishings to further aid distinction of purpose. The colour coded signage is designed to be inclusive and to avoid language barriers. The glazed departments and streets also guide users with views inwards and outwards of each pavilion.
Open break-out areas have been integrated to dissolve the traditional clinical barriers between staff and patient and to encourage informal patient- staff consultations, social interaction, create a sense of community and offer public spaces to relax.
The 40-bed en-suite ward offers assessible balcony space with countryside or courtyard views so patients and their visitors can avail of a sheltered external space for interaction, refection, or for palliative care sessions.
The series of courtyards, visible through large glass paned atria, offer uplifting panoramas of the inner gardens with the healing natural light enhancing the interiors, aiming to blur the boundaries between inside and outside. These landscaped gardens also offer the option of safe and sheltered exterior green environments where patients and visitors can reflect, relax or interact.
The main entrance atrium is designed to be an active public realm foyer offering a range of spaces of differing height, functions and views, characterised by its large glazed translucent appearance, a main reception, café, retail and waiting area encourage people to meet, interact and engage.
Outside the main entrance is a locally influenced landscaped area offering both sheltered terrace seating and open-air seating, among ornamental plants and trees. This external entrance area allows for easy access for vehicle pick up and drop off for patients and visitors.
Community Collaboration
Community engagement occurred during the briefs development, including dialogues with local and county groups. This involvement was crucial, with extensive end-user research resulting in the delivery of an exemplary environment for healing, which was a key design goal.
The scheme has been designed to include accessible community meeting spaces and group facilities for use beyond the traditional hospital brief, to promote local health, well-being, exercise and outreach.
“This was a very interesting project for us in that it represents a refreshed approach to the traditional delivery of healthcare services. This new complex is distinctively designed as an environment for healing by creating a connection between the patient and the outside”
Andrew Murray,
Director, TODD Architects