St Andrew’s Hospital - Secure Mental Health Unit, Essex
St Andrew's is the UK's largest not-for-profit mental healthcare charity. They offer specialist services for men, women, adolescents and older people across mental healthcare, learning disability, acquired brain injury and progressive and neurodegenerative conditions.
Project Description:
The project comprised 2no new storey, medium secure mental health units. ESP were engaged for full M&E design and consulting duties from feasibility stage through to project completion and client handover / training.
Each block contains single occupancy en-suite bedrooms; multi patient wards; clinical areas; therapy rooms; observation rooms; control rooms; ablutions; catering and staff areas. Due to the nature of the patients, extensive and careful design was required to ensure the safety of all occupants in relation to all services components, which could be seen and / or were potentially accessible. In particular, the hot and cold water services design included specialist control systems to restrict abuse, yet give the patients the optimum level of use. Central control and shut down systems were also employed along with extensive emergency and security systems. Both buildings included sprinkler systems throughout.
All accommodation was constructed to a very high standard with a major emphasis on finishes, safety and durability.
Key Challenges:
- Significant planning issues regarding the building position and height which required significant engineering input to resolve.
