St Catherine's Health Centre - One Creative Environments Ltd

St Catherine's Health Centre

The Brief: The 11,100 sqm four storey health centre was commissioned by NHS Wirral in the grounds of the existing eight acre St Catherine’s hospital site, to sustainably meet the health and social care needs of the local population.

Project Overview: The vision for St Catherine’s Health Centre was to create an exciting, ground-breaking and sustainable design which would radically transform an area in great need of regeneration.

In addition to a challenging brief, which was to encompass new care services, an operational site, new public space and the existing church, the project demonstrates a new benchmark in timescales for a development of this size. Working in partnership with the community, end user, contractor and developer ensured a robust design concept was achieved in just seven days and taken to a successful planning submission in only ten weeks.

The significant historic value of this landmark site has been preserved and through consultation and engagement with staff, service users, the local community, St Catherine’s Church, English Heritage and Birkenhead Historic Society ensured the scheme embraced the Grade II listed church, making this historic building central to the new development.

The Benefits:

Regeneration of the local area - the masterplanning of the comprehensive redevelopment of the site supports the local authority’s strategic approach to the development, as part of a Housing Market Renewal Initiative (HMRI) area.

Improving public realm and accessibility - an integrated masterplan ensures open access and clear pathways for safety and ease of navigation. The landscape design focuses on ‘connectivity’, using curved routes to create strong links to local parks and the adjacent area of urban regeneration, resulting in increased public space and a positive area to live, visit and work.

Making a greener landscape and reducing the building footprint - reduces the footprint of the overall site to increase natural views, pedestrian access and more landscaping to encourage ecological development within the urban environment.

The solution revives the existing hospital site to create a landmark building with vibrant public space which enhances wellbeing and safety and incorporates vital health and social care services. All this is achieved whilst substantially reducing the overall building footprint, creating more green space and restoring the Grade II listed St Catherine’s Church to its former position as the focal point of the site.