Putting the Care of Patients at the Heart of Design – Hospital Ward Block Scoops Top Award

23rd May 2023
Damien Day (Kennedy & Fitzgerald Architects), Brendan Smyth (Department of Finance), Emma Hannaway (Interim Asst. Director Performance, Improvement & Commissioning, South Eastern Trust), Andrew McKeown (Avanti Architects), Naomi Dunbar (Asst. Director Strategic & Capital Development, South Eastern Trust), Feargal Harron (Kennedy & Fitzgerald Architects ) & Georg Schmidt (Avanti Architects)

The Ulster Hospital Acute Services Block Project and Design Teams have won a Sustainability Award at the prestigious Royal Society of Ulster Architects Design Awards held in Belfast.

Representatives from the South Eastern Trust along with Department of Health Estates, the Project Team, Avanti Architects and Kennedy Fitzgerald Architects attended the awards ceremony and were immensely proud to accept the award which recognises and celebrates the hard work and collaboration to deliver a high quality clinical environment for patients and staff.

The state-of-the art Acute Services Block at the Ulster Hospital, provides Medical, Stroke, Renal, Gynaecology and Care of the Elderly wards and has a total of 213 beds. The vast majority of the wards provide patients with a single ensuite bedroom designed to provide privacy, comfort and dignity, whilst ensuring optimal infection control. The rooms are equipped with up to date technology, maximising natural light and providing an out of bed alert system for patients who are at risk of falling.

The judges said  “The Acute Services Block exceeds the standards of the current Northern Irish Building Regulations. This is an example of Architects working closely with a complex and extensive client team to deliver excellence in healthcare design.”

The judges continued, “The importance of detailed brief development with the clinicians and technical nursing staff is clearly in the forefront of the design and critical to the delivery of a high standard of patient care.”

Assistant Director of Capital Development, Naomi Dunbar was delighted the team won this prestigious award and said, “The work undertaken with Health Estates, Avanti Architects and Kennedy & Fitzgerald Architects has been amazing.  Following twenty years of investment, this building provides our patients across the South Eastern Trust with a first class environment which is incredible.”

“I am delighted that the Acute Services Block has been awarded this Sustainability Award which recognises it as a model for the future.  It is also wonderful recognition for the staff and entire team who came together to deliver a facility whilst facing the challenges of a global pandemic.”