Healthcare desks for nurses. Walls were painted throughout, and suspended ceilings were installed. The heating system was an extension of the existing hospital heating system. New domestic hot and cold water supplies were installed to WCs and hand wash basins. Efficient ventilation and air handling equipment were also installed, as well as a building management system (BMS) to control the new air handling units and chilled water system. The new BMS has been designed to interface with the existing hospital system.
Due to the nature of the project being a refurbishment rather than a new build, the project achieved a BREEAM Good rating. Energy efficiency was taken into account across all areas of the build. LED lighting was fitted in all circulation areas, and movement sensors for additional lighting were placed in toilets, cupboards, changing rooms and offices. In terms of energy management, electricity sub-metering is featured on the LV distribution panel, as well as variable speed drives and heat recovery on air handling units. Whilst thoroughly equipped with to shape the layout of the new facility. These were designed to meet the various necessary fire, radiation and acoustic requirements. New concrete floors were cast in the location of the existing courtyard and a new roof structure formed above. The roof was finished with a single ply membrane. The plant room was formed at roof level comprising a structural steel frame and clad in Kingspan RW100 insulated wall and roof panels. The room houses all of the ventilation and UPS systems to support the plant and the catheterisation equipment. The next stage of the project involved the installation of mechanical and electrical services to connect important ventilation equipment. Additional work included the installation of vinyl sheet flooring and the complete fit-out of the building, along with a new reception desk, medical grade cupboards, storage facilities and
high levels of knowledge and support, the project did not come without its challenges as Ian Manning, capital projects manager at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, explains: “The project has been a challenging build because it is an island site in the centre of a busy acute hospital. “The hospital had to remain in constant use during the build process and this created a number of challenges for the contractor. This included the removal of demolished material and the suppression of dust during the demolition. These were achieved by limiting the time when demolished
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Challenging operation
The facility now features a fully functional catheterisation laboratory, two clinical rooms, a six-bed recovery ward, three single-bed recovery rooms, a waiting room and staff facilities
Public Sector Build Journal 31