Marcus Spencer, technical director, and Tanya Jenkins, associate engineer, both of British consultancy ONE Creative Environments, and Tony Marinou, architect at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, explain how an innovative and collaborative approach to sustainable design resulted in an award-winning dementia care facility
ONE Creative environments’ (ONE’s) engineers were commissioned by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s architectural team to provide a solution for a highly sustainable and efficient two-storey, sixty-bed care facility. The new development needed to set the tone for sustainability and be an exemplar building for the council in supporting people living with dementia that would inform further development.
Solihull was in urgent need of suitable mental health facilities due to an aging community. Current facilities were operating at capacity and needed significant improvements. The decision was made to develop the site at Tanworth Lane, Shirley, into a purpose-built dementia care facility in accordance with current best practice and following guidance from studies conducted by Stirling University.
The architectural solution from Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council worked in perfect harmony with ONE’s engineering disciplines for this award-winning project. ONE’s team played a key role in the application of sustainable features through their in-house accredited low carbon consultancy services, which offer long term benefits in terms of cost and performance for both the owner and occupiers.
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