Thames Lodge, a new £60 million mental health building at St Bernard’s Hospital, Ealing, designed by David Morley Architects, and built by Kier, has opened.
Part of the hospital’s redevelopment (The Network – July 2015), the unit sits alongside the existing regional secure unit (RSU) and Wells Unit on the site, surrounded by a secure perimeter, with one single entrance to create the Three Bridges Medium Secure Campus.
Vivienne Mowatt, redevelopment programme director, West London Mental Health NHS Trust, explained: “Designed to be both safe and inviting, the new Medium Secure Unit contains five wards, all with different colour schemes chosen by service-users, to help people find their way around.”
The 80-bed unit has an on-site primary healthcare suite with clinics including GP and dental services, and a gym. The 8,000 m² adult men’s unit is arranged in five ‘fingers’ extending from the north wall/circulation spine into the garden space between the new building and the existing RSU and Wells Unit. This allowed the creation of a significant new area of garden space between the ‘fingers’, including five ward gardens, a large central communal garden, a multi-use games area, and a horticultural area. There are also two roof gardens with seating areas and trees.
Thames Lodge also houses a central ‘community hub’ – the Riverside Centre – also designed by David Morley Architects, offering work and training opportunities The design team also included arts and health consultants, Willis Newson, landscape architects, Fabrik, Kier, and AECOM.