Tadley House
Developments
‘Careful consideration has been given to the external spaces around the buildings, maximising opportunities for private spaces and visual enhancements’
Tadley House, Basingstoke
Tadley House is a 120 suite care facility that has been designed to incorporate Graham Cares approach to care provision, along with a respectful approach to the existing built and local environment.
The building has been designed to:
- Complement the character of the surrounding area.
- Create domestic scales with a traditional style by the use of a suitable choice of materials, colours and details.
- Respect the surrounding golf course and neighbouring properties.
- Create an enhanced landscape setting.
- Minimise visual impact.
- Provide a high level of care for the residents.
The design is based on a central core of ancillary accommodation and communal spaces on the lower ground, ground and first floor, with accommodation wings radiating out from this central area.
The gross internal floor area of the proposed building is 8355m2, which neatly sits within 1.5 Hectares (3.71 acres) of grounds, with its boundary including direct access from Bishopswood Lane. The existing trees, particularly to the site boundaries, have assisted our designer to shield houses adjacent to the property and the golf course from the impact of Tadley House.
Our design has been influenced by a 4m change in levels from one end of the site to the other, resulting in the introduction of a lower ground floor to facilitate direct access to garden areas from communal areas and suites.
As with most developments, our design changed throughout the planning process, following consultation and discussions with planners and other interested parties.
The original design concept started with four wings spread around the site for visual and light comfort. There were ample amounts of garden space to serve the different wings. Our proposal was for 2 full storeys at ground and first floor level and a lower ground floor that was half the size of the upper floors. A combination of retaining walls and banks would be implemented to maintain the site and provide a positive influence to the overall aesthetics.
In collaboration with the client and the new information provided about the site regarding trees and other constraints, the design evolved over time and is now more sympathetic to the environment it sits within, from the materials chosen for the elevational treatment to the access flow around the site.
The building will follow the local vernacular and the form and material use will reflect its surroundings by utilising a combination of two coloured bricks, render, cladding and clay roof tiles, which will break down the building.
The entire roof will be the same pitch and height, with bays extruding from the building fabric. The roof on the extruded bays will have a steeper pitch and have a hip to it, which will carry through the rest of the building bays.
The same effect is proposed on the main entrance, which will imitate the existing golf course club house.
Use of brown cladding on the upper section of the elevations blends with the roof tiles which enables the building to look diminutive. The use of two coloured bricks has the same intention to have the effect of the building being lighter at the top which makes it look less dense.
The external design composition is a product of the site constraints and the design philosophy, but it is also related to the relationships between the internal spaces and the client’s aspiration to create an environmentally friendly and responsible building which informs the design solution.
The building remains in the centre of the site however, the main entrance has moved from the east side of the building to the north east side with the entrance to the Day Centre next to it, creating a centrally located and inviting focal point for visitors. Additionally, parking and deliveries are now located to the north east side of the site.
The development has clearly defined public and private areas. Residents’ gardens will be securely fenced to create a safe environment. Careful consideration has been given to the external spaces around the buildings, maximising opportunities for private spaces and visual enhancements.
For the home design itself, services and most ancillary spaces are located on the ground floor. The communal areas will be as GL&D designs, central with the dining and lounge areas combined to have light penetrating from multiple angles creating a light and airy internal environment. This centralisation of communal space will enable residents to come together into one location.
Care Suites and associated facilities are located across the Ground, Lower Ground and First Floors.
Careful consideration has been given to the design of the care suites, which differ from traditional nursing home bedrooms because they include:
Social space with comfortable seats.
Dining space.
A kitchenette.
Our design provides for a combination of single and double suites, so couples can stay together, even when one develops the need for on-going care.
Many of the lower ground floor suites will have patio doors providing direct access to garden areas. Elsewhere suite windows are designed with window cills set 600mm above floor level to provide good visibility from the bed and from the seated position.
Independence is encouraged with the provision of an en-suite in each suite, suitable for use by frail or ambulant disabled, with level access shower, toilet, vanity basin and mobility aids.
On the ground floor you will find the entrance foyer, visitors lounge, offices, toilet facilities, hair & beauty salon, community Day Centre, training room and ancillary spaces such as kitchen and laundry.
Our concept and philosophy is to achieve an open, fresh and vibrant feel to communal areas. Our design achieves this by introducing a clear, open layout and adequate glazing for viewing different direction depending on the floor. The ground floor communal areas face north and east, the lower ground faces north and south, the first floor faces all directions. The space will be flooded with natural daylight creating a light airy space.
Moving from the central core areas, on entering each of the four wings of the building you will find corridors designed to be 1,650 mm wide, with further recessed areas in front of the door to suites. This allows good access for wheelchair users.
Nurse stations are located close to the entrance to the wings in a position where they can also monitor activities in the lounge.
Each wing will also have an assisted bathroom, drug stores, sluice room, stores and small sitting areas.
The context of the development in terms of its physical, social and economic aspects was adapted throughout the design process to achieve a high quality Residential Care Home, which enables the retention of valuable assets and the respect for the golf course and neighbouring properties.
The home will provide a high standard of living and communal accommodation with an innovative style of elevation combining traditional and modern materials and forms. The new home will not only strengthen the amenity provision for the local elderly community, but will also enhance the visual appearance of the site by replacing an existing residential care site to a sustainable standard.
The innovative design and operational efficiencies of the home make it a viable development for the future.
The new Care Home will provide an important and much needed amenity for the local community using the full potential of the site. It will, on the one hand, fully benefit from the ideal location on an established residential care site and, on the other hand, it will become a valuable asset, which the residents of Bishopswood will be proud of for years to come.
The quality of architectural design with distinctive elevations and landscaped gardens and high standard of accommodation with wide array of facilities and services, will all contribute to enabling the proposed new home to become a prime example of collective living and care for the elderly.
Planning approval was granted on the 6th September 2017. A start date for works on site is still to be finalised.