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Ignacio Melero and Team

Ignacio Melero and Team, who are studying at the Medical Architectural Research Unit, UK (first year, part time), entered the Architects for Health's First Student Health Design Award (2007) with the following submission. For contact please email: imelarq@hotmail.com

Master Plan for the Redevelopment of St Paul's Hospital Site, Haringey, London

Architect - Ignacio Melero. Team members: Louisa Campbell, Jennifer Morgan, Martin Norton and Colin Glen

Introduction

Barnet, Endfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust employ over 2600 staff and have an annual income of £184 million for 2006/07. They offer a range of services to just over 1 million people living in the London Boroughs of Barnet, Enfield, Haringey and parts of South Hertfordshire. They also provide some specialist services to other parts of the country.

The range of services provided include:

Services for young children
Services for adults and older people
Specialist services – including medium secure, eating disorders, brain injury rehabilitation and substance misuse.

Working in partnership with local universities they have an active research and development team who support staff with the development of proposals and research programmes.

This year the Trust has started the long journey towards planning the reposition of the mental health services on the current St Paul's Hospital site inTottenham. This has involved bringing together all stakeholders to develop a vision and plan for what mental health services should look like for the 21st century. Services at St Paul's Hospital need modernization - a lot of the infrastructure is crumbling and difficult to maintain and it should not be forgotten that St Paul's was never built to be a mental health hospital. The work has been steered by a group of all the partners who use the site.

Local Strategies

Tottenham Hale International is an initiative to develop a new master plan for the Tottenham Hale area and provides residents with an opportunity to comment on emerging proposals.

Haringey’s Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy (HNRS) provides the framework for renewal of the most deprived parts of the borough over the next decade by providing a guide to how more detailed plans for neighbourhoods and borough services join up and a framework for partners’ and partnerships future work.

The Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) aims to improve standards of health, education, housing and environment, to decrease crime and unemployment and to close the gap between the worst of neighbourhoods and the rest of the Country.

Site Analysis

The existing site is flat with buildings not exceeding three storeys (with the exception of the water tower). There is a raised railway line to the south and a main road to the north. Victorian/Edwardian housing supports the boundaries of the site and continues into the surrounding area. There is a large car park opposite the main entrance. The buildings currently located on site are a mixture of 1960s, 70s & 80s with no listed buildings. The site is enclosed within a high brick wall with some mature trees/shrubs to its perimeter and within.

Local Transport Links

The St.Paul’s site is located in the South of the borough and is served by two main roads, the A105 & A503 and the B152 St.Ann’s road, on which the main entrance to the site is situated. Access to London Underground (Seven Sisters) and Network Rail Services (Haringey, Seven Sisters, Haringey Green Lanes) are within walking or “pram pushing” distance of the site.

The overarching aim of the transport plan is to increase access to the site for patients, staff and visitors by the use of public transport and other non-car means. Patients with a disability or mobility problems will be catered for within the development.

Urban Proposal

The landscaping and the boulevard layout of the site will in particular lend itself to ease of access for the local community, other visitors, carers, staff, support vehicles and public transport. By employing features designed to dramatically reduce traffic speeds the boulevards will enhance opportunities for safe play areas, seating, cycling and walking.

The boulevard is the key where the cars give way to the pedestrians and people are the principal users.

The park is integrated as part of the site by means of boulevards. There are clear connections through the park from the North side and through the boulevard from East and West side.

Also between the buildings secondary boulevards are created where we find patient pathways, different environments with areas for relaxation time, play areas for older and young people and also spaces for summer and winter.

We create a friendly environment where patients feel better.

Brief

• Open site with good public transport access, wide boulevards, controlled site traffic, safe pedestrian walkways and cycle paths.
• Extensive residential development with expansion space for S106 requirements.
• Training and development facilities for Trust staff and staff of other organizations.
• Primary care, diagnostic services, therapies, social care and welfare as a hub of support services for the community and inpatient services.
• Rehab based mental health and learning disabilities services.
• Common links in terms of design, art work, energy and sustainability.
• High quality secondary care franchises to add value and attract patients from wider catchments.
• A range of community facilities encompassing leisure, adult education recreation and sports.
• Landscaping and site layout design to attract local community and visitors to the site

Sustainability

• Designing to minimize the impact of global warming within the design life of the buildings. Consider impact on occupant comfort and possible occupant request for air-conditioning due to lack of inclusion of passive over-heat control techniques in the architecture of the building.
• Consideration of air in buildings, its usage, measures to improve air quality, encourage natural ventilation and reduce emissions.
• Consideration of occupant productivity issues such as use of day lighting quality and quantity, ventilation, acoustic environment and minimization of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
• Use of energy simulation techniques for each building on site to inform site energy strategy.
• Identification of the need for cooling energy on site and how this may be best achieved (use of techniques such as ground water or earth tubes to pre-cool ventilation air.
• All in knowledge that modern highly insulated buildings have minimal heating requirements, but may have almost year-round cooling energy requirements.

Design Proposal

The Peace Room and Garden Project aims to create a multi-faith 'Peace Room' and complementary outdoor garden space for patients, families, visitors and staff of St Paul's Hospital. It is an inspiring demonstration of what can be achieved with the combination of vision, energy and talent from all collaborators.

The provision of an organic market garden will provide a therapeutic context to the in patient services as well as longer term training and development opportunities for both patients and the local community. Selling local produce either through on-site retails units or directly to the site restaurant could significant reduce the need for external funding for this project.

The design of the boulevard pedestrian pathways onto and off the site incorporates the service user need for privacy and dignity within a safe and secure pleasant outdoor space. The layout encourages interaction through conversation and walking routes whilst acting as an efficient way finding route around the site incorporating subtle signage and recognisable landmarks in the form of art and sculpture.

The Architects for Health
First Student Health Design Award
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