Springfield Hospital

Location: London

Brick Manufacturer: Ibstock Brick Limited

Brick Name: Staffordshire Red & Handbridge Tipped, Trysull Cream (from Furness)

Architect: CF Moller

Contractor: Swift Brickwork Contractors Ltd

The new Trinity and Shaftesbury buildings at Springfield house a total of eight wards, four wards each. These buildings form a ‘mental health corridor’ with the two new buildings and a current modern building, Storey, which was built in 2008, all adjacent to one another. This allows clinicians to move between the different buildings much more easily than before.

The hospital consists of two distinct buildings and compromises new-build mental health facilities, provides a range of adult inpatient wards along with adult and children’s outpatient services, Recovery College, teaching facilities and support services. The hospital buildings also incorporate retail shops and several floors of carparks that will serve both the hospital and the emerging residential plots that are being developed around the hospital.

The design incorporates open plan areas at the centre of each ward to create a light and airy environment with strong visual and physical connections to adjacent external garden courtyards. These courtyards offer a view of the contrasting brickwork facades with the stone cill banding presenting clear definition across the facades.

The layouts generally allow easy overview of the ward entrance and of the majority of patient circulation areas. The design has sought to eliminate blind corners where possible. This design is reflected through the large radius corner incorporating a perforated brick facade which embodies the free-flowing design of this project.

The edges of the rooms and central corridors incorporate fixed and loose furniture with a variety of seating areas for relaxing and socialising.
The facades and external elements consist of robust and high-quality materials chosen for their compatibility, beauty, durability and sustainability, with consideration for their life-cycle environmental impact and cost.

Two-tone brickwork is the primary material across the buildings, which relates contextually to the adjacent listed buildings. Simple yet bold brickwork patterns have been used across the project, helping to mirror the free flowing and open interior. The Staffordshire Red has been laid in a soldier course to bring the building from the ground, introducing the colour change to the Furness Handbridge Tipped. This two tone brick helps give a calming appearance to the building, designed to reflect the buildings purpose.

The wards will revolutionise the way in which care is delivered for generations to come and ensures high quality and safe services. The new facilities have been carefully designed alongside clinicians and service users to provide the most supportive environment and innovative facilities for the delivery of mental health care. As well as good news for patients, the new hospital facilities will be positive for the environment with much more efficient use of energy and working towards a carbon neutral footprint.