Queen Alexandra Hospital - Wernick Group & Faithful + Gould

Project Details

Project - Queen Alexandra Hospital

Sector - Health

Technology - Component

Company - Wernick Group & Faithful + Gould

Project Overview

As one of the busiest metropolitan hospitals in the South of England, Queen Alexandra Hospital Portsmouth was in urgent need of expansion to accommodate an enlarged patient base. Proposals for the redevelopment of the hospital included the construction a state of the art £58m Accident and Emergency Department and a new multi-story car park. However, the most pressing need of the hospital was additional ward space to be used primarily for patients recuperating from head injuries or strokes.

This new specialist unit would also free up much needed free up general ward space within the main hospital. The trust’s vision was for the proposed new building to link to the hospitals’ existing rehabilitation building, in turn providing a state-of-the-art brain injury rehabilitation centre to service the region. The urgent need for the new building would require a form of Modern Methods of Construction to be employed to meet an accelerated delivery deadline in time to offset the forthcoming winter pressures.

However, Portsmouth University NHS Trust were determined that a tight timetable should not compromise the quality, longevity, and aesthetics of the building with their  ambition for the finished building to fit seamlessly within the existing surrounding architecture. As well as ward space for 72 beds, in a combination of single rooms and 4 bed wards, the two-storey building comprises of therapy rooms, stores, offices, a patient day room, and there are kitchens on each floor.

The building is linked to an existing building at the first floor via an additional module, (taking the number of modules used for the build up to 77) ensuring comfort and privacy for patients, as well as allowing the smooth transfer of patients to other areas ofthe hospital as required. Externally the building is finished with rain screen Trespa cladding panels to compliment and match in with nearby buildings and to give the building a sleek and modern feel.