Priscilla Bacon Hospice
Built on greenfield land adjacent to the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, the team have completed the construction of a new inpatient Hospice in Norwich. This new facility will accommodate 24 inpatient beds and replaces the former home on Unthank Road, providing a place that enhances the experience of the patients with its private homely bedrooms connected seamlessly to beautifully landscaped gardens beyond.
Key Stats
- £12 million charity-funded hospice
- 24 in-patient beds and day care facilities
- Wellness centre and gym
- Community hub and virtual ward
- A platform for research into palliative and end-of-life cares
- 45/45 CCS visit
At a Glance
Budget
£12 million
Completion
August 2023
Location
Norwich
Sector
Residential
Social value
£11.1m
Our approach
The Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity was founded in 2016 with an ambition to raise funds for the construction of a new Hospice close to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. The project is an example of togetherness within the community, with £10 million of the required £12 million raised and donated by residents in the community. The land itself was donated by both Chairman and Lady of Priscilla Bacon Hospice, Robert Carter and Charlotte Carter.
The new building is a palliative care facility, designed to look after those who need end-of-life care. The hospice will also serve several multi-functional uses for its occupants. Along with 24 inpatient beds, there is a wellness centre, a gym and landscaped gardens. The new facility provides counselling for all age groups and will act as an educational hub for research into palliative and end-of-live care.
A home away from home
Encouraging normality and social interaction for occupants where possible was a fundamental requirement for the project. The facility needed to feel ‘non-clinical’ and be a welcoming destination for occupants. This therefore placed great significance on the approach to design.
Designed by local Architects LSi, the facility took inspiration from a traditional Norfolk Barn. Red brickwork and timber feature throughout the building, with large triple glazed windows included to promote the use of natural light within the building. Although the facility does follow a traditional construction design, the building is all electric with PV Panels and Air Source Heat Pumps to ensure sustainable ventilation throughout the building.
The landscape design was equally crucial for the project, with a focus on wellbeing being created by the outdoor atmosphere. A number of plants and greenery have been planted in the garden which can be accessed directly via each patient’s room.
Saving 13.9 Tonnes of Carbon
Our site teams partake in a ’10 tonne carbon challenge’ which aims to save a minimum of 10 tonnes of carbon throughout the life of the project. The project team saved over 13.9t CO2e of carbon through several innovations, which included:
- A cut & fill exercise across the parameters of the site which reduced the need for delivery trucks to source external materials to infill areas of the site.
- Adapted our supply chain selection procedure and selected local supply chain work packages to reduce site delivery distances and increased percentage in shared miles
- The specialist brickwork required the brick design to be adapted to suit architectural requirements, these bricks were adapted on site rather than being sent away
Sensitive environment with tricky underground services
There was a number of risks within the ground including existing live services and a large underground culvert which runs under the development and building. As there were several live services within the ground, the team opted to Vacuum Excavate the ground as opposed to other traditional techniques for excavations. Vacuum Excavation or “soft dig” is a non-mechanical and less invasive method of excavation. A blast of air or water is directed into the dig site to loosen soil and break up any large materials. Vacuum Excavations are a safer alternative as it negates the potential to puncture any pipework encountered in the ground.
The building had been carefully designed with consideration for the existing culvert, , with the access chambers still located within the site demise for future access.
Social impact
The project team have been involved in several Social Value activities throughout the duration of the project. Over £11.8m was reinvested back into the community with 101 volunteer hours donated to a range of charities within the community. This included our site team carrying our volunteering days for Priscilla Bacon Hospice at the Anglia Square charity shop.
The team also donated over £21k worth of materials to local business and charities.
Gallery
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