Contractor Speller Metcalfe has completed this 20-bedroom extension to architect Architype’s design as the first stage of the redevelopment of St Michael’s Hospice in Hereford. The £9.6m scheme was funded almost entirely by donations to the charity.
Speller Metcalfe value engineered the project for the charity, working “incredibly closely with the hospice and the architect to achieve the best value for the client”, says Simon Holdsworth, contract manager at the contractor. He adds that the focus on value extends to using Passivhaus.
“Our experience with Passivhaus has allowed us to build an incredibly air tight and incredibly insulated building. This efficient building will greatly reduce the charity’s energy bills,” he explains.
The hospice is split into two parts, a publicly accessible entry block that contains a reception area, therapy suites, physiotherapy and guest accommodation, and the private inpatient wing beyond. A double-height “internal street” runs the length of the accommodation block. Lit by 53 metres of continuous roof glazing, it is intended to “feel like an outdoor space”, and contains break-out spaces, discreet seating areas, and nurse stations.
From top left: one of the communal living rooms; the publicly accessible entry block; the reception area; continuous roof glazing lights the building
Five modular accommodation “clusters” lead off from this corridor. They comprise four en-suite bedrooms – each with its own outdoor terrace – that open onto a communal living room. This layout was informed by consultations with staff, volunteers and patients to create a balance between privacy and community.
“It is quite a complex plan, but it feels rational when you are in the building,” says Paul Neep, project architect at Architype. “The hospice’s previous wards were shared, so we wanted to increase the patients’ privacy, while maintaining the sense of community.”
Patients moved into the extension last month. Speller Metcalfe and Architype are now working on phase two: the refurbishment of the existing 1980s building, which is being stripped out and refitted to create a day care centre to complement the in-patient building.
