Calderdale and Kirklees NHS Foundation Trust were relocating their acute and community health services clinic to a centralised facility at Bowling Mill, Dean Clough, Halifax. The facility covers two floors totalling 16,500sqft, with an outpatient assessment and ongoing treatment facility for clinical services and physiotherapy on the ground floor and associated office functions on the 4th floor. Ben Johnson Interiors secured the project through a traditional tender and worked alongside the NHS Trust project team which included architect AFL Architects and mechanical and electrical contractor SDP to deliver the scheme as the main contractor. 

Works consisted of CAT A & B fitout including all M&E modifications, ceilings, flooring, partitions, kitchen, clinics, treatment rooms & physiotherapy gym, acoustic treatments, signage and furniture. Integrated technology was a key factor within the design, the reception desk included cameras and security screens, direct lines to the nurse call stations, clinic rooms and fob security access systems on all doors. Selection of finishes and attention to construction details was essential within this medical facility. All corridors were clad in specialist infection control wipeable cladding. AFL Architects made a feature out of this material within their design, selecting a range of colours and applying printed decorative graphics to the cladding. All flooring was high slip resistance, infection control, wipeable hard flooring. All exposed pipework was boxed in and sealed with specialist infection control silicon. As a listed building, Dean Clough had beautiful exposed vaulted ceilings that the Trust wanted to retain where possible. The Trust also wanted to maintain the exposed bricks where possible, as the exposed bricks were listed, the project team worked with the heritage department to find a resolution and agreed to use a special sealing agent, which was applied to the brickwork to satisfy all parties. Other listed building restrictions included installing new partitions to both floors, retractable curtains in an infection control material were installed in all patient treatment rooms for confidentiality and comfort. The Physiotherapy Department included a fully equipped physiotherapy gym for patient rehabilitation. To support the heavy physiotherapy gym equipment, it was determined that the existing raised floor was to be removed, the services relocated and the floor to be concrete screeded. 

The 4th floor had been an office area previously, so the Trust were able to re-use existing M&E and some meeting rooms, working around the confines of the listed building status, additional complementary meeting rooms and offices were added. The meeting rooms needed to be less formal, with a mixture of settings, including high tables and soft seating so employees and outreach teams had a choice. Several breakout areas were also installed within the open plan desking arrangements to break up the workstations and encourage collaboration between teams. Although this wasn’t a medical or clinical space, the team would be working between floors, so infection control was still a factor. The Trust wanted to maintain the vaulted exposed ceiling above the workstations, but in conjunction with the hard flooring, acoustic treatments had to be considered. Acoustic feature cladding was applied to the walls and ceilings, a large breakout room, ‘The Hive’, was created to support employee wellbeing and encourage collaboration between teams. To maintain budget and meet sustainability obligations, all the furniture was existing or donated. Ben Johnson Interiors were able to contribute by helping the Trust secure some upcycled furniture, donated by our existing clients and partners. The landlord, Dean Clough, also assisted with the donation of the workstations from previous tenants and introduced the Trust to the Dean Clough Gallery who were able to loan them the artwork used throughout the space.

The Finished Project

Now complete, the project is a resounding success with the nurses and patients praising the quality of the finish and design of the space. Ben Johnson Interiors are proud to be part of the project team that delivered this healthcare facility which will be used as a benchmark for future facilities.