Following our successful design and delivery of the new Vale Community Hospital in Dursley, NHS Gloucestershire appointed us to design a similar community hospital for Tewkesbury. However, the Tewkesbury design presented some challenges. Not only did it require a wider range of facilities, but the site is on a 1:100 year flood plain. This means that each year, the site has a 1% chance of flooding and any new development must incorporate land remodelling to rebalance the area.
We worked with NHS Gloucestershire to understand the needs of the community and to understand what the current hospital was lacking. A phased approach meant that the existing hospital could remain open throughout construction and, once it was demolished, a facility was built providing a base for relocated GP surgeries.
To address the flood risk, we engaged with the Environment Agency from an early stage and agreed on a cut and fill approach; this technique involves moving volumes of material to create optimum terrain to help counteract the flood risk.
The design at Tewkesbury was developed and enlarged from that of Dursley to include a theatre suite complete with 1st and 2nd stage recovery, as well as outpatient, therapy, x-ray and minor injury units. The overall health campus also comprised the GP facility and a shared parking pool.
The project achieved BREEAM ‘Excellent’, demonstrating its environmental, social and economic sustainability.
