Project Description
Atherleigh Park in Leigh is a five-ward mental health hospital that has set the standard for mental healthcare excellence in the UK. It was designed by AFL Architects with the aim to provide the feeling and aesthetic of a ‘community’ building rather than a hospital.
The project brief included for the environment to be designed in-line with latest guidance but with lessons learned from other similar units across the UK. These lessons and subsequent feedback were captured in a series of visits which then channelled into the user engagement process. Amongst other initiatives, this led to all clinical accommodation and inpatient services being situated on the ground floor, with staff accommodation on the first floor, along with a maintenance access gantry in the roof void. Anti-ligature components were incorporated into the design, while still allowing the option for service users to personalise their rooms.
The hospital is built over two-stories from a combination of structural steel and structural insulated panels (SIP) using both cedar and red brick cladding on the exterior. Full-height glazing is used to allow for natural light and views overs the landscaped areas, including a dedicated therapy garden.
From the outer boundary of the site, the first opportunity for the building to successfully integrate into the wider community is the public realm where staff, service users as well as the general public may informally interact, diffusing the boundary between the hospital and the outside. An early opportunity to encourage this use was to utilise an inward-looking design to reduce the need for fences. Ultimately, the specialist mental healthcare team at AFL Architects, wanted to design a facility that de-stigmatised the feel of the environment.
Internally, AFL worked with the Trust to maximise natural light and ventilation in the design while ensuring the environment is safe and robust. This has led to the final project being a resounding success with patients, staff and visitors.
The hospital is also commonly mistaken for a hotel.