The Walton Centre NHS Trust embarked on a major expansion programme to deliver a new three-storey building: Sid Watkins Building. The new building houses an expanded 30 bed specialised rehabilitation centre, outpatient department, UK-leading pain management programme, education and training department, corporate offices and relatives overnight stay accommodation. The design brief was to focus on making the patient feel like they have entered a luxury hotel rather than a hospital, but as a healthcare facility the partitions need to meet extraordinary acoustic, fire, impact and hygiene demands.
Identifying specialised best-in-class solutions was key to the success of this bid. Having worked closely with our technical team on two previous healthcare builds - Leighton Hospital, Crewe and The Christie Hospital, Manchester - Interserve were able to demonstrate key examples of product innovation and installation efficiencies. By using GTEC LaDura the need for using plywood pattresses was removed from the partitions, which in turn sped up the time taken to install, delivering the build 6 weeks ahead of schedule.
Over 40,000m2 of LaDura installed across the project
"Siniat's technical team were on hand throughout the scheme to support our detailed production information process." Tom Gilbert-Rule – Gilling Dod Architects
"Hospitals have high quality - often heavy - fixtures but as the use of a room changes you're often limited to certain areas on the wall to install them. LaDura is strong enough to negate the need to go back and reinforce with plywood - meaning you can easily change the use and fittings of a room."
"The project surpassed cost, time and quality objectives. Many of the staff have stated that since moving into the Sid Watkins Building in January 2015 it has had a really positive impact on the team. The whole environment, from lighting, technology to amount of space ensures it is conducive to working and a great environment to work in”.
Paula Bamber, Head of Facilities and DevelopmentsThe Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust