Jasmine Lodge, Mother & Baby Unit
Wonford Hospital
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Location: Exeter
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Sector: Health
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Division: Regional building
Tilbury Douglas was appointed to construct a new Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) on the Wonford hospital site in Exeter, adjacent to the 10 bed mixed gender Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), which we delivered at a similar time. It was unique in being the only MBU purpose built new build in the country and therefore setting a template for all future MBU provisions nationally.
The new MBU means that the Trust can now provide the support and treatment needed, in an easily accessible central location whilst ensuring mums remain with their babies. This direct patient provision alongside the incorporation of the local outreach team on the lower ground floor, is a huge step forward for the Trust’s perinatal mental health provision.
At a glance...
£7m
Project value
BREEAM
Excellent
Best Interior Design Award (New Build)
at the 2019 Building Better Healthcare Awards
The new MBU is located within the busy Wonford Hospital, with mental health patients surrounding the site, residential properties on one side and the new PICU on the other side of the site. The building comprises accommodation for inpatients, visiting families and staff. In addition, it facilitates community engagement through the provision of a base for the local perinatal outreach team, and by offering flexible multi-purpose spaces for use by a range of visitors and health professionals.
We worked closely with our design team and the Trust throughout, with direct input from patients, clinicians, commissioners, charities and staff. This helped create the atmosphere of a large domestic house or small hotel as opposed to a psychiatric unit. Whilst anti-ligature safeguarding was paramount, it is subtly achieved whilst ensuring a domestic and welcoming feel to the building.
We also worked closely with an Interior Designer and stakeholders to deliver a therapeutic environment to provide a setting to reduce boredom and alleviate fear and anxiety. This has achieved a unique facility for the Trust and secured the Best Interior Design Award (New Build) at the 2019 Building Better Healthcare Awards, whilst also being highly commended in the Clinician’s Choice award.
The three storey unit centres around an enclosed landscaped courtyard garden with the principle patient level focused around the courtyard; ensuring the garden is at the heart of the scheme. Views into and through the courtyard ensures the MBU has an open, welcoming character, filling the building with great natural light and colour.
The building is designed to BREEAM Excellent and incorporates a number of energy reducing features. Inherent, passive features have been favoured ranging from high performance building fabric and low energy fixtures up to allowance for future connection to the local district heating main.
The site required major excavation and retaining wall structures to create space for the lower ground level accommodation. This was achieved with careful planning and continuous quality monitoring of site operations.
Accommodation consisted of the following:
- Day spaces including an open plan living/kitchen/dining area, family visiting room and separate quiet lounge
- Eight individual bedrooms with en-suite shower rooms
- Shared treatment room, bathroom, laundry, etc.
- A nursery and nappy change area and milk kitchen
- Two multi-purpose activity rooms
- Two first floor apartments used by dads and families for over-night visits and to provide an opportunity for mums and babies to live independently before they are discharged
- Outreach and community staff offices and facilities on the lower ground floor
Our partners
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Quantity Surveyor: Edge Property Solutions
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M&E Engineer: Capita
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Architect: Grainge Architect
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Structural Engineer: Airey & Coles