Captain Sir Thomas Moore House
10 key worker accommodation delivered in 13 weeks
ZED PODS have designed an affordable, zero-carbon housing scheme that was deployed in circa 13 weeks on a constrained site to deliver much-needed on-site key worker accommodation. These 10 space standard compliant single bed apartments, finished to a high specification and creating pleasant modern living spaces and generating more energy than they consume.
Project Information
Client: North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust
Location: Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon
Building Solution: Permanent
Scope of works: Full Turnkey Service (RIBA Stage 0 – 7)
Status: Construction Complete
Project Team
We are very pleased with the finished result of the studio apartments. Onsite accommodation at Hinchingbrooke has been needed for some time, so this is a great place for our staff to have that option to cut down their commute and stay closer to work for periods of time, in comfortable surroundings.
Graham Wilde
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust
Brief
Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon
A report from the Public Accounts Committee cited the lack of affordable homes as a major impediment to the supply of permanent key workers in the NHS, particularly in areas where it is expensive to rent and buy property. Under the Covid-19, housing has once again emerged as a big problem for the NHS staff. Long commute after long working hours resulted in low morale and many keyworkers have complained about poor quality of accommodation.
Staff retention has become a critical issue resulting in over reliance on expensive agency staff. Onsite accommodation is considered as a vital asset to improve staff welfare and better retention which ensures staff availability at a short notice.
Challange
Budget, Time, Sustainability
How do you deliver key worker housing to a high specification whilst remaining within budget requirements?
Can these homes be delivered quickly and efficiently to satisfy short term accommodation needs whilst providing high quality living spaces designed to increase staff retention?
Given the fact that the climate emergency is at the forefront of construction projects and operational changes across estates management, can quick-to-build, high-quality homes also be zero carbon?
Given that hospital sites need to minimise disruption when delivering infrastructure schemes, can delivering these homes be done in a way that is quick and sympathetic to the patient needs?
The offsite solution
This zero operational carbon development was delivered in 13 weeks on time and on budget despite the pandemic
ZED PODS, working in collaboration with NW Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, have been able to address all the above issues. We carried out the full turnkey D&D process for the Trust. The scheme went from contract to delivery in 13 weeks during the lockdown.
Under the pandemic, the construction continues, and program was completed in agreed time and cost. The homes were built on an unutilised area, close to wards and services, helping to resolve proximity of stay for nurses and doctors. By using rapid volumetric MMC technology, these homes were delivered quickly and efficiently not only have met the trusts’ urgent needs, increase hospital capacity, but also improve living comfort, staff retention and shorten the commute.
Keyworkers
Accommodation
Hinchingbrooke’s ‘Captain Sir Thomas Moore House’ will provide a home-from-home for medical staff.
The scheme containing 10 single-bed apartments, all with GIFA’s above Nationally Described Space Standards, with convenient and efficient room layouts that are functional and fit for purpose. Finished with high specification whilst remaining within budget requirements from the clients.
The scheme also demonstrates flexibility in design, as there are further possibilities for not just nurse and doctor's accommodations but also for step down care, when need be.
