Lincoln Court & the Centre of Excellence
City of York Council needed to create two new purpose-built facilities (Lincoln Court & the Centre of Excellence) in response to the increased amount of support necessary for children with complex disabilities, as well as additional assisted living support for the elderly.
The solution
One of the key drivers of the project was the necessity of involving the end-users in the design. Children, young people, parents, and carers were engaged with to help decide what was included, how it should look and its name. Proposals were put together to create a new two-storey building to encompass the needs of the facility. The external works would create a new car park, landscaping, large play areas and secure areas for the children.
Throughout the entire process, there were regular design reviews, sharing of ideas for features, fixtures, colours, and design.
"This project is an important part of York’s older persons’ accommodation programme which ensures that the growing population of older people have access to modern accommodation. Moving into quality, purpose-built homes is proven to give increased independence, confidence and, in many cases, less need for care."
The solution
Significant structural alterations were needed, including the renovation of the entire building which consisted of three-storeys. Reconfiguration of the space meant that the existing building was to be extended to the back, as well as the refurbishment of the existing space.
The solution was a traditional build, consisting of block and brick work, as well as a complete re-roofing of the building. The focus was to ensure that all brick work, roof tiles and features matched the existing building to create a seamless addition onto the existing.
the challenges
Deciding to run the projects parallel to one another doubled the challenges for the site team and required a strict logistical plan to ensure the smooth running of the operation from start to finish.
Efficient project management and communication was key throughout, with very precise delivery, access, and egress schedules, being followed.
The outbreak of coronavirus also meant there were delays to materials, labour and progress, but a strict health and safety regime was put in place, on top of the standard health and safety practices that are followed on all of our construction sites.
Lincoln Court:
- Significant structural alterations to the existing building meant there were technical challenges to contend with. Systematic planning was needed to determine how the building would be temporarily propped, and then the steelwork supports also needed to be slotted in – it’s a good job the site team are good at jigsaw puzzles!
- Working with a live, operational school on the site’s doorstep with the same access points
- The piling work needed to be undertaken inside the building to support the columns. There were multiple layers of props on each side due to the removal of structural brickwork and addition of structural beams
- Other logistical challenges included the diversion of drainage
Centre of Excellence:
- The site was adjacent to an existing housing estate which posed access restrictions and challenges
- Couldn’t get articulated vehicles onto site due to tight bends in the road and so this was a logistical exercise. Traffic management was paramount
- Safe demolition of existing buildings to make room for the new build
- The creation of a separate site access and temporary car park
“NHS England and NHS Improvement is delighted to support this much-needed development in the City of York. The involvement the families has been integral from the outset of the Beehive project, and we believe that involvement will help lead to a successful service that will benefit many more children to live full and meaningful lives in their local communities.”