Lancashire architects win award for Wesham hospital redesign project

The £9.4m Wesham Rehabilitation Centre has received the Design in Mental Health award for Project of the Year – Refurbishment.

Architect, design and masterplanning practice FWP led on the redevelopment of an existing hospital building near Kirkham, which had stood empty for more than eight years.

The construction work on the project for Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust was carried out by the Eric Wright Group.

The Design in Mental Health Network awards recognise excellence and innovation in mental health environments that improve patient recovery.

The Wesham Rehabilitation Centre has been refurbished into a new “Moving-On” facility with two wings providing 28 en-suite bedrooms, shared day space and a state-of-the-art kitchen facility where service users are encouraged to develop independent living skills.

There is also a large, private garden with raised beds, a poly tunnel, and grassed patio areas to enjoy.

Community space has also been included within the new entrance block to encourage use of the centre by local people, in partnership with the trust.

David Simmons, FWP associate partner attended the awards. He said: “We’re extremely honoured that the Wesham Rehabilitation Centre has received this prestigious national honour.

“It is testament to the work of the whole team involved in the project, which we believe showcases how far mental health design has progressed in recent years.

“User and clinical engagement meetings allowed the design to evolve into a unit that is totally removed from people’s traditional view of a hospital environment.”

Joanna Stark, the trust’s director of operations for Fylde Coast, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic that all the collective hard work and dedication to refurbish the Wesham Rehabilitation Centre has been recognised.

“All the teams involved worked tirelessly to create an environment that would help support our service users on their recovery so for this to be recognised means a lot to all involved.”

The Wesham centre is one of several important refurbishment projects that FWP has worked on for the trust, which provides a range of mental health services for communities in Lancashire and south Cumbria.

FWP, which sponsors the shirts of nearby AFC Fylde, appointed a strong team of experienced consultants to help deliver the Wesham unit, including Cheadle Hulme-based TACE, which provided mechanical and electrical design support.

TRP Consulting, based in Manchester and Preston, provided civil engineering and structural design and Manchester-headquartered Urban Green has delivered the ecology and external landscape designs.