Wrightstyle is shortly to supply advanced glazing systems to a £7.5 million state-of-the-art care home being built by Deeley Construction. Wrightstyle will be installing fire-rated screens and doors at the Woodside Care Village, an inspirational new care home in Warwick which will provide care for 72 older people and people
The £3.5 million community facility in Bicester, Oxfordshire, has officially opened. The Kingsmere Community Centre was built by Deeley Construction on behalf of site owners, Countryside Properties; the project was managed by Buro Four, designed by Robothams and mechanical and electrical engineering (M&E) services were provided by Building Services Design
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Wrightstyle is shortly to supply advanced glazing systems to a £7.5 million state-of-the-art care home being built by Deeley Construction. Wrightstyle will be installing fire-rated screens and doors at the Woodside Care Village, an inspirational new care home in Warwick which will provide care for 72 older people and people living with a dementia, due to open in 2019. The new home is being built for Warwickshire-based charity WCS Care, and has been designed by local architects Robothams. There will be a relaxing spa, pamper salon, deluxe cinema, and café, as well as table tennis and companion cycling for two, complete with a cycle track. It will also feature a shop and traditional launderette, accessible by an open-air courtyard, as well as the latest technology including circadian rhythm lighting and night-time acoustic monitoring. Designing buildings for older people, particularly for those living with a dementia, involves many challenges for glazing. Floor-to-ceiling windows have been included to maximise light, which can have positive health benefits for residents, and avoid using window frames that block views from the line of sight of people using wheelchairs or who might be sitting down for long periods of time. The windows will provide uninterrupted views from beds which also aids recovery and wellbeing. Tamper proof window restrictors enhance safety and security in rooms. Suppression and containment capacity if a fire breaks out is also an important element in any healthcare facility housing occupants unable to self-rescue, and Wrightstyle has long experience in the UK and internationally in designing and supplying glazing systems to contain fire at source. In the UK, fire safety in residential care premises are subject to strict fire regulations and dealt with under Approved Document B Fire Safety, and fire precautions in England and Wales fall under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO). While fire suppression is important, the other component is containment – ensuring that any fire remains trapped in one area, and giving staff adequate time to evacuate the building. That’s where advanced glazing systems have a role to play, providing complete protection against fire, heat and toxic gases for up to 120 minutes. Wrightstyle systems, which are specified worldwide, most recently in Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong, can be found in a variety of hospitals and other healthcare facilities. www.wrightstyle.co.uk
The £3.5 million community facility in Bicester, Oxfordshire, has officially opened. The Kingsmere Community Centre was built by Deeley Construction on behalf of site owners, Countryside Properties; the project was managed by Buro Four, designed by Robothams and mechanical and electrical engineering (M&E) services were provided by Building Services Design (BSD). “We developed an M&E design that would allow for the building to be used for multiple purposes,” said Joel Sawyer, director at BSD. “This is a building designed to perform different roles for different members of the community so we needed to be flexible with our strategy, while ensuring that we created a functional, contemporary space that was sustainable and long-lasting.” Features include offices spaces, a kitchen, youth centre, activity hall and meeting rooms. The main hall is fitted with a roof mounted natural ventilation strategy, as it lacks openable windows. This solution has saved a lot of money when compared to installing air conditioning units. “The ventilation turrets also have an internal solar powered fan, providing additional ventilation during sunnier conditions, boosting air flow and boasting a zero noise level,” added Joel. “We provided a robust design scheme for the youth centre so that it could withstand considerable use over a longer period of time. The radiators have been covered and we used a more malleable material – mild steel pipework – rather than copper to allow them to withstand any potential impact. The lighting is also impact resistant, as are the fire alarm call points. PV panels were also fitted to the roof to allow for electricity independence,” said Joel. Matthew Keegans, senior project manager at Buro Four, also commented on the project: “Community and place making are essential and we are very passionate about getting right within all of our projects. Working with the BSD team, we were able to incorporate innovative solutions to provide a future proofed and sustainable community hub on time and budget.”
