Cotton Rooms UCLH

CONVERSION

The project involved the design and construction of a vertical 2 storey extension to create the UK’s first “NHS patients’ hotel”. It was styled on a small boutique style hotel, with 35 rooms for cancer patients to use during periods of tests and treatment. It marked the Cotton Rooms as a stand out project, which was entered by Ark Build for the RICS Design Awards.

The project was funded by donations to The University College London Hospitals Charity and prior to its existence UCHLC had to find local hotels with spare capacity to house patients and carers during lengthy periods of cancer treatment, often with multiple moves during their treatments, and little control over clinical hygiene that is required of people when undergoing chemotherapy and the like.

The new facilities involved the provision of extra space, in this building owned by the UCLH Charity Trust, by installing a vertical extension of 2 floors on top of an existing 8 storey building to provide the UCLH with 35 twin bedrooms, a restaurant and communal and reception areas having direct links with the adjacent UCLH Macmillan Cancer Centre.

Many of the features of the Cotton Rooms were developed in consultation with nursing professionals and microbiologists at UCLH to ensure that every aspect of patient care outside of a hospital environment was considered. This materially affected decisions in respect of floor finishes, nurse call systems, levels and positions of fittings, accessible rooms and patient kitchens.

The scheme achieved a BREEAM Very Good rating and was a finalist in the 2013 RICS Awards for ‘Community Benefit’.The project presented a number of challenges that had to be overcome, often typical in other schemes, namely:

• There was a finite programme with an immovable end date, due to booked treatments and use of expensive diagnostic equipment..

• The budget of £4m could not be exceeded.

• Design development needed to run in tandem with construction to meet the programme.

• The extension involved a steel structural frame, positioned on top of an existing concrete framed building of an 8 storey multi-tenanted use building on Tottenham Court Road, a busy London thoroughfare.

In addition, the project also had a number of unique challenges:

• It represented the first project of its type in the UK and was therefore a high profile scheme.

• Repurposing and extending common staircases at each end of the building.

• Extending the passenger lift at the north end to provide vertical transfer between the ground and the new roof storey levels.

• There was a requirement to undertake the heavy and noisy structural alterations with incumbent tenants on various lower floors and protection of the general public and security was of paramount importance due to the sensitive surroundings of a busy retail thoroughfare in the centre of London, with both residential and hospital accommodation in the immediate vicinity.

• The lack of knowledge regarding previously undertaken alterations and extensions to the building on the upper floors meant that the structural enlargement and modification to the frame could not be undertaken until large parts of the structure had been exposed and verified by the Structural Engineers. Although this was a main contributory factor in limiting progress on design and construction, the completion date for the project could not be compromised.

• Many of the features of The Cotton Rooms were developed in consultation with nursing professionals and microbiologists at UCLH to ensure that every aspect of patient care outside of a hospital environment was considered. This materially affected decisions in respect of floor finishes, nurse call systems, levels and positions of fittings, accessible rooms and patient kitchens.

Client and Stakeholder engagement was a key activity throughout the contract and continual liaison engendered trust, which enabled the boundaries of noisy and intrusive working hours to be stretched to the limit to meet exacting timescales. A close and collaborative working relationship was developed with the primary design team, leading to honest and tough decisions being made at critical times to deliver on time and within budgetary targets.

The scheme endeavoured to meet all sustainability targets including a BREEAM Very Good rating by way of the use of products from sustainable sources; solar control; low energy light fittings; individual programmable room controls on ventilation, lighting, power and water consumption.

The project offers UCLH a long term, cost effective solution to cancer patient accommodation, delivering a unique and positive experience for those patients during periods of intense pressure and uncertainty.

Client Testimonial—Peter Burroughs, Enterprise Director, UCLH Charity

“All of the feedback from the UCLH Trust, UCLH Charity, clinicians, patients and carers has been very positive, demonstrating that the project has significantly enhanced the end users’ experience. Ark Build PLC has worked with the UCLH Charity on various projects over many years. Their integrity, performance, delivery and quality of workmanship led the UCLH Charity to appoint them to lead the design and construction of the new ‘Cotton Rooms’ Patient Accommodation. The UCLH Charity are delighted that this high quality project has been successfully delivered and completed on time, in a truly professional manner.”