Structural design for the UK’s healthcare facilities
Managing the complex demands of the healthcare sector, balancing functionality with the need for patient safety and wellbeing. Discuss the role Richard Herrmann Associates Ltd can play in the design and fabrication of hospitals, clinics, and unique medical centres.
Putting the needs of patients and staff first
As a firm, RHA is proud to have worked on many new-build projects for the healthcare industry, including the design of an entire new hospital, the hardstanding and civil engineering elements associated with it. Irrespective of the project criteria, we work to ensure structural designs that meet the strict standards required in such sensitive environments, considering the purpose of specific rooms and the need to accommodate the critical equipment they may house, such as lifting devices, CT and MRI scanners.
Whilst we may come at your project from a technical angle, we appreciate the need to establish calm, quiet environments that promote healing. We help achieve this through the elements we can influence, such as insulation and ventilation, ensuring the facility remains a tranquil space amidst the constant hum of activity. We’ll also work alongside architects to ensure the suitability of spaces. For example, ensuring that columns are located to suit bed bay spacing or to facilitate free passage of beds and trolleys throughout the corridors. These seemingly minor considerations can have a huge impact on patients and staff and thus are reflected in every decision we make.
Technical engineering beyond customer-facing environments
The plant rooms of hospitals are the working centre of the building infrastructure and are usually heavily utilised spaces that contain generators, fuel and water tanks, ventilation extraction equipment, etc. It is critical that the structural engineer understands that any vibration resonating from the equipment into the structure should be accounted for, both for the building design and to avoid disruption to the occupants. As your specialists, Richard Herrmann Associates Ltd will consider these types of details, for structural excellence beyond the spaces healthcare professionals and patients usually encounter.
Coordinating with your project team
Given the nature of these types of projects, they often involve numerous stakeholders, from architects and contractors to healthcare providers and medical equipment specialists. Our job is to ensure every element of the structure integrates seamlessly with mechanical and electrical systems, while maintaining the flexibility needed to adapt to future healthcare innovations. Experience our holistic approach to healthcare design by contacting our teams in Cambridge to learn more.
37
Years Est.
6,500+
Clients
100+
Years' Experience
Words from our clients
A new hospital for Spire Healthcare
In partnership with Architects Halliday Meecham, Richard Herrmann Associates are proud to have provided the structural and civil design associated with a new hospital for long-term client, Spire Healthcare.
The two and three-storey hospital provide theatres, diagnostic facilities, wards, and care facilities, along with associated plant rooms and staff accommodation. The hospital’s specialist use requires a deep understanding of the intricate equipment and support requirements for items such as medical pendants, theatre extract canopies, MRI and CT scanners, etc.
Theatre floors were designed to meet with strict deflection and vibration criteria, which also needed to integrate with extensive services and the floor, wall, and roof penetrations. The civil engineering element of the project involved the design and detailing of the access road and car park pavement. The overall site drainage was achieved by utilising an attenuation pond.
CLIENT
Spire Healthcare
VALUE
£26m
LOCATION
Tollerton, Nottingham
ARCHITECT
Halliday Meecham
Take the first steps in your development
Ensure your facility meets the needs of modern medicine. Complete our online form to discuss your technical requirements.