A ‘home from home’ for children with disabilities

The run-down John Greenwood Shipman Centre facility has potential, but requires safety improvements, increased opportunities for interaction between the children, and a more cosy, less institutional feel. We at Fleet brought our expertise in retrofitting healthcare settings with a proposal that was playful, harmonious, and allowed for the expression of each resident’s individuality. Fleet Architects has long advocated the repurposing and reimagining of buildings in order to preserve existing structures, promote sustainability, and minimise construction waste. Our work on Health on the High Street – which sees the re-location of outpatients and community services to disused shops and other public buildings in accessible town centre locations – has brought us many plaudits, including being shortlisted for the prestigious Wolfson Economics Prize in 2021. Fleet has been working with Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) on a variety of projects, retrofitting and refurbishing existing healthcare estate such as the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services unit and Section 136 Place of Safety facility at Berrywood Hospital in Northampton, and a mental health inpatient facility at the Welland Centre, which is part of St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering.

New guidance on reaching Net Zero emissions

The Northamptonshire Trust is ahead of the curve. In February this year the NHS published new guidance on reaching Net Zero emissions from its buildings by 2045. From 1 October 2023, the NHS Net Zero Building Standard will apply to all future building works and upgrades requiring sign-off for funding. NHFT approached Fleet Architects in March 2022 to produce a design concept for a part of its estate that had become shabby and run down. The John Greenwood Shipman Centre is a respite care service for children and young people with mental and physical disabilities, including autism, complex health needs, and/or complex behaviour. Situated in a residential area of Northampton, the centre offers a short-break service for children within a structured and safe environment, giving families respite from the physical and emotional demands of caring for a child with a disability, and offering a chance for the children to engage in activities and socialise with their peers. The centre has a small adjoining facility called Woodside, which is for children and young people with learning disabilities and/or ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) presenting in crisis. The facility sits across the local authority children’s services as commissioners, and the NHS Trust as service-provider. Fleet’s proposed concept design is part of the NHFT project plan to access funding and move forward with the works.