Forest House, Harperbury Hospital, Hertfordshire
This 1,045m2 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Unit involved the substantial remodelling and refurbishment of the existing CAMHS accommodation (572m2) with a large extension (473m2) providing bedroom accommodation for 16 service users.
The existing building was in a very poor condition, included confusing internal circulation routes and service users had to sleep in shared dormitory accommodation. The Department of Health’s strategy of promoting privacy and dignity for service users inspired the Trust to seek an improved service for its clients.
The new scheme provides private, single bedrooms for service users arranged around a new landscaped courtyard, a clearer internal layout, larger shared social spaces for service users and increased office accommodation for staff. Each bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom.
The external walls, roof and sash windows of the existing building were very carefully refurbished and materials to the extension chosen to match so as to create a harmonious appearance of the completed works.
Client: Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Construction value: £3.5m
Gross internal floor area: 1045m2
Completion: September 2009