Step Exhibitions
Hellesdon Rivers Centre – Murphy Philipps Associates LLP
Nominee Information
Collaborative creation of multiple outside spaces was key in the Hellesdon Rivers Centre project. We sought to create engaging, inspiring and therapeutic areas.
Initial engagement with patients and carers highlighted the integral importance of outside spaces to people needing inpatient mental health care. Investing, and collaborating in, the design of the outside spaces became a key focus for the Rivers development.
“When you are in a ward environment and may have restriction placed upon your leave the courtyards/garden/outside takes on an extra significance – it can be a space for time out, to breathe – can promote the feeling of limited, but significant freedom, the choice of being outside or inside is important.”
(Quote from a service user in pre-design workshops)
Building on the service user experience, we worked as a multi-disciplinary team of internal and external stakeholders to focus on not only on the design of outside spaces, but also how sophisticated design could bring the outside into the buildings.
Key considerations:
- Bringing the outside space into the inside: through inclusion of glazing along bedroom corridors surrounding the courtyards. Each open lounge area opens directly onto courtyard spaces with full width glazing to maintain clear, uninterrupted views across. The sky is framed by the courtyard while the open plan lounge is illuminated by four rooflights during the daytime, flooding the space with natural light, keeping service users linked with the outside world despite being within the ward buildings.
- The integration of the Hellesdon Hospital site: Planning focussed on brining three plateaus of the sloped site together as one. Sheils Flynn designed accessible walkways with interconnected planting to seamlessly merge the old and new together.
- The outside areas surrounding the Rivers centre: Landscape designers used planting, grassed areas and appropriate hard standing, allowing for functionality and the utilisation of all outside spaces as therapeutic environments.
Specifics include:
- Using planting and nature to support privacy and dignity as non-intrusive screening for bedroom windows and to give views of nature and the outside from bedrooms. Each bedroom is designed with a window seat to allow service users to comfortably observe the new extensive landscape around the wards.
- The Hospital Rooms project has art installations in the surrounding outside spaces encourage interaction/engagement with outside spaces.
- The individual ward gardens: Placed in the centre of the build, ward gardens are not fenced removing the feel of restriction. The design provides clear lines of sight and additional lighting supporting safer and more effective care. With a plethora of non-toxic planting, the selection of plants promotes sensory interaction. Grass and hard surfaces, with carefully placed seating, encourages community interaction and space for individual reflection. Outdoor gym equipment enables unrestricted access to physical activity supporting our commitment to holistic care, including physical health.
- The enclosed outside space for seclusion areas: are detailed with a roof design allowing for unrestricted sky views and adequate shelter for users
