Double Design Wins for Acclaimed Adolescent Unit

Amidst swingeing UK government cuts for mental health services funding, the completion and opening of Greater Manchester West’s Junction 17 adolescent unit at Prestwich Hospital is a real good news story.

Not only that but since its opening in late 2013 it has received exceptional acclaim from staff and patients alike. The facility (which replaces the former McGuinness Unit on the same site) has recently received the Best Mental Health Design award at the 16th Annual Building Better Healthcare Awards in London. This prestigious recognition follows from receiving the Design Project of the Year Award at the first Design in Mental Health Network National Awards earlier this year.

The 20 bedroom Tier 4 specialist mental health unit was developed in close consultation with young persons, service providers, psychiatrists, art and occupational therapists to ensure the end result was best suited to patients and staff using it delivering a bright and engaging, modern non-institutional environment. The unit has inpatient accommodation for 24 young people with a 15 bed acute ward and five en-suite bedrooms, welcoming therapy, activity, lounge and family visiting spaces for in and outpatients and an ICU suite. The unit includes the co-educational Cloughside College for inpatients with classrooms on site.

RPS was appointed by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust to complete the Mechanical and Electrical services section of the feasibility study and then was part of the design team for the P21+ contract with IHP/Vinci Construction. RPS was responsible for taking the design of M&E services through the Guaranteed Maximum Price process and then through the construction and hand over period Local Chorley-based firm Gilling Dod provided the architectural design. The structural engineering design was provided by Alan Johnson Partnership.

RPS’ services for the £10m unit included the design of systems specifically suiting the safety requirements of the environment. The building was heated by the use of a ground source heat pump supplemented by gas fired boilers linked to underfloor heating with the building achieving the BREEAM Very Good standard. Our design services also included mechanical ventilation, water services and drainage, fire and safety systems, security, small power and lighting.

‘Success such as this is only possible when the design team works collaboratively with all stakeholders within the client team, the pre-construction team and the construction team’ says RPS Operational Director John Gosling, ‘Great team cooperation here between client, project team and service users has delivered excellent results answering the requirements of all involved’.