Villas 7 & 8, 24 bed Assessment and Treatment Unit, Northgate Hospital

Sector: Mental Health
Client: Laing O’Rourke and Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Role: Lead Consultant and Architect
Value: £4m
Status: Villa 7 completed May 2010
Villa 8 completed December 2010

These two existing buildings are located in the heart of the Northgate Hospital site on the edge of Morpeth, Northumberland. They are existing residential ward blocks and the scheme is a refurbishment to upgrade to current standards while retaining their original use. Each will form a 12 bed single-sex ward offering the same accommodation and service for patients with both learning disabilities and mental health problems. Villa 7 will be for female patients, Villa 8 will be male.

Two single storey extensions allow new entrance and visitor facilities so that the existing ward enclosures can be dedicated to the residents, allowing the necessary privacy and operational management. The addition of a lift allows all bedroom accommodation at first floor to be more easily accessible. The constraints of the buildings meant accommodation had to be split between 2 floors. Day-space, dining, activity, therapy and other associated rooms are all located on the ground floor with good access to south facing gardens.

The proposed new extensions and alterations have arisen from a detailed consideration of the internal layout of each building, following consultation with the hospital management. A contrasting approach was taken to the external appearance, allowing colour to be incorporated to assist with identity and wayfinding. An architectural language has been developed for these works and other small works interventions nearby which aim to be robust and contemporary, giving them a family appearance to sit alongside the two distinct earlier periods of development evident on the hospital site.

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