Our most complex challenge was to deliver the UHNS’s new facility while working in a live and congested hospital environment. The new unit had to be created in a phased program of construction works with the new facilities completed before the old units could be demolished. Careful planning was required to organize the build schedule and we maintained a very close relationship with the NHS Trust, main contractor and design team to ensure minimal disruption to the hospital’s usual activities.
Meeting demanding energy targets was another key challenge. Our response was to use natural ventilation, as opposed to air conditioning, throughout the new hospital by exploiting the embodied mass of the building’s façade together with energy efficient plant systems.
Our engineers added significant value to the project by using a method of ‘hybrid’ (partial) off-site construction that reduced the need for site labour and saved time within the build schedule. This project represents one of the first times this technique has been used in hospital design and construction.