Offsite healthcare construction specialist, Darwin Group, officially showcased at June’s Design in Mental Health 2023 event ‘a pioneering modular mental health bedroom that sets a new bar’.
The conceptual bedroom took just three months to design and create, with the project –dubbed Bedroom Evolved – seeing Darwin Group collaborate with Safehinge Primera, with support from specialist architects and suppliers. With an overall area of 32.19 m2 , the bedroom with en-suite bathroom has ligature reduction fixtures and fittings, and an ‘innovative’ anti-barricade, ligature reduction, Safehinge Primera door. Darwin says the idea came from the recognition that the NHS not only needs a high-quality, cost-effective solution deployable at speed, but also one that provides a calming, serene place to improve people’s chances of responding successfully to treatment.
Safety features include ligature reduction fixtures and fittings, while the locking system – with one key fitting all doors, windows, and cupboards – negates the need for staff to carry multiple keys. Darwin said: “Thanks to the Modern Methods of Construction used, the facility is designed to last a minimum of 60 years, with wall structures that exceed the ‘Severe Duty’ rating for hard and soft body impact.”
Attention was also paid to the exterior space, with a large window overlooking a soothing garden to give patients a calm, meaningful connection to nature. Darwin Group CEO, Richard Pierce, added: “We firmly believe our Bedroom Evolved could make a significant positive impact to the care and support offered to mental health patients, and, thanks to its offsite construction, it can be deployed immediately and at speed. The new bedroom not only pushes boundaries in terms of quality and innovation, but also offers a glimpse of the future of modular mental health construction.”