Our work in action: New Papworth Hospital
Skanska has partnered with Equitix to deliver the New Papworth Hospital, a world-class specialist healthcare facility based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge. When completed in 2018, the £140 million project will provide 300 beds, seven operating theatres, five catheterisation labs and imaging and outpatient facilities within a 40,000sqm area.
A collaborative approach
To optimise the design for each room, we invited client, healthcare and facilities management teams to get involved in the development of clinical drawings and room data sheets. With more than 150 room types, and as many as eight staff to consult for each, this could have been a very time-consuming process. We facilitated these consultations using interactive 3D models which showed the room and all the equipment it would house – with virtual reality technology providing the potential to explore it from every angle. Clinicians could see how they would perform their role within the space, leading to meaningful feedback within a short period of time.
Many rooms were completely replanned during the meeting to suit specialist practices. A touch screen was provided which meant that clinicians could rearrange the furniture and equipment themselves. The same technology was used for other spaces, including the atrium and waiting areas.
This collaborative approach has helped to engage and excite more stakeholders in the process while leading to the best possible design solutions.
Saving time
By ensuring the right information is available to the right people at the right time we reduced the time required to gain these valuable insights. We were able to reach an in-principle agreement with the client after just one or two meetings per room type, instead of the five meetings per room type as outlined in the schedule. This represents a significant time saving, as well as reduced pressure on the client to provide staff for consultations.