Modular construction specialist, Darwin Group, has delivered a new Innovation Centre for Stoke Mandeville Hospital, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
Using offsite construction, it delivered the 1,083 m2 build -- complete with offices, agile workspaces, wet labs and dry labs, in just 23 weeks. Darwin Group’s skilled ‘in-house’ team used its unique turnkey service to deliver all stages of this project, from start to finish -- for Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust -- allowing the building to be handed over within the tight timescale. The new £2.8 m hospital facility was constructed in conjunction with the local Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which will occupy the ground floor.
The use of offsite construction at the firm’s highly controlled Shrewsbury-based facility allowed work to continue safely throughout COVID-19 restrictions, and helped minimise disruption to the complex live hospital environment. Charles Pierce, managing director at Darwin Group, said: “The fast turnaround is a testament to our in-house team of designers’, planners’, and architects’ hard work and industry expertise. This project is evidence of our work redefining what is achievable in short timescales, and we’re proud to announce that this is the handover of our fourth permanent hospital build during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Stephen Holt, head of Estate Development at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “From our initial dealings with Darwin Group, all through the tender process, contract award, design development, and the construction phase -- including the commissioning and handover process, the Darwin Group team allocated to the Innovation Centre Project for my Trust have exceeded all of our expectations. The quality of the finished building is excellent, and it was delivered to the agreed programme and within budget.
“The Darwin project team kept us informed throughout, ensuring that key stakeholders were fully informed of progress. We worked with Darwin Group to achieve a phased handover, which showcased its positive approach, flexibility, and ability to work with our team. Our service-users and other stakeholders are extremely pleased with the new working environment, and I am happy to recommend Darwin Group as a design and build contractor for any NHS organisation. We will be working with them again.”
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