A new healthcare facility for the rehabilitation of patients with brain, spinal, and other neurological conditions, that architects Murray O’Laoire and Brian O’Connell Associates say will “raise the stakes” internationally in the treatment and care of such patients and, on its 2014 completion, be “among the world’s most accessible buildings”, is planned for Dun Laoghaire near Dublin.
The design philosophy was explained in detail by Hugh Murray, a founding director at Murray O’Laoire, at the recent Healthcare Estates conference.
Speaking in Harrogate in place of scheduled presenter and fellow Murray O’Laoire director Kevin Jackson, who was unable to attend due to last-minute commitments, Hugh Murray explained that, providing that the required funds can be secured, the new National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) will be built on a greenfield site in Dun Laoghaire, close to the existing facility of the same name, in a single construction phase that will allow the existing hospital’s services to continue without disruption until the new facility’s completion in 2013/2014. The result of six years’ design work, the 235 inpatient bed hospital will provide rehabilitation for patients who have suffered traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, as well as prosthetic, orthotic, and other patients requiring specialist rehabilitation in a purpose-designed facility. It will also provide a major outpatient service to ensure continuing care is provided following initial rehabilitation. Hugh Murray said that, on the hospital’s completion, many more patients who require rehabilitation will live fuller, more independent lives at less cost to the state – “a unique example of all that’s best about Ireland”. Working on the project had, he said, “forced us as architects to look at accessibility in a very focused way”. Before examining the main concepts that shaped the new hospital’s design, he provided a little background on the facility it will replace. The existing National Rehabilitation Hospital was founded in 1961 by the Sisters of Mercy in conjunction with the Irish Department of Health, and has an inpatient capacity of 121. A publicly-funded healthcare establishment, its role is stated as being “to provide comprehensive multidisciplinary inpatient and outpatient services to patients from throughout Ireland who have acquired a physical or cognitive disability as a result of an accident, illness or injury, and require specialist medical rehabilitation”.
Space to recover
Log in or register FREE to read the rest
This story is Premium Content and is only available to registered users. Please log in at the top of the page to view the full text.
If you don't already have an account, please register with us completely free of charge.
