To design a leading care home that specialises in dementia care and delivers a bespoke service for its residents. Set off a private drive, with 70 en-suite bedrooms, communal facilities, and amenities for residents, staff and visitors alike. To include bicycle parking and storage, electrical charging points, and to be sustainably aware.
The site once neighboured a brick works that operated from the 19th century, closed in the 1990’s, and then disappeared from the skyline forever. Our design took inspiration from the former five towering chimneys and has reinterpreted these in a contemporary manner thereby echoing the feelings of yesteryear.
The care home has been designed as two storeys with a single storey frontage and to read as a collection of smaller industrial style structures connected by glazed links with a mix of mono-pitch and gabled roofs. The smaller masses are distinguishable from each other making wayfinding through the site easier for residents, staff and visitors alike.
The former brick works is now a nature reserve with a man-made lake and biodiverse grassland. The care home utilises views of this and ensures natural habitat is protected and encouraged to flourish through careful design, the incorporation of sustainable and environmental technologies, and a full landscaping scheme.
Three wings enclose a central courtyard to create a private outdoor space to which the principal lounge and dining space open on to. The doctor’s consultation rooms and café have been sited to the front of the home to allow visitors to meet with residents easily and attend appointments with them. The care home will support an ageing and vulnerable population in a secure and safe environment.
