The Elimination of Dormitories, The Elgar Unit
Value: £11M
Type: Demolition and new build
Partner: Speller Metcalfe
The Elgar unit, consisting of Holt and Athelon Wards, was procured under Lot 1 of the Constructing West Midlands framework but Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust.
The new unit was designed to improve the provision of mental health care across Worcestershire as part of a £400 million, UK-wide scheme known as ‘The Elimination of Dormitories’.
Speller Metcalfe was appointed at RIBA stage 3 for the design, demolition and construction of The Elgar Unit.
The £11 million redevelopment of The Elgar unit included the demolition and reconstruction of two wards; Holt and Athelon. Outdated shared sleeping quarters were replaced with private, ensuite rooms. 30 new bedrooms were created through this project.
The new facilities will improve the safety, privacy and dignity of patients experiencing mental ill health. Both wards have access to a newly refurbished courtyard area, as well as living and kitchen spaces.
During the construction stage, Speller Metcalfe held regular project meetings with representatives from the NHS Trust to ensure goals and value drivers were aligned and focused on at all times. In addition, the Trust Lead attended collaborative meetings, weekly meetings, design team meetings and workshops where he would bring along other stakeholders and specialists to ensure there was a collective understanding of the KPIs for the project.
The project completed in 2023 and was built to the BREEAM Very Good standard. it was shortlisted at the 2024 Constructing Excellence West Midlands Awards in the Delivering Value category and the RICS 2024 awards in both the Public Sector and Refurbishment and Retrofit categories.
Project highlights
- BREEAM Very Good
- £3.73M worth of social value add – 33% of the project value
- 100 week’s worth of apprenticeships across the two-year projects
- 10/10 for satisfaction with the quality of the completed project on the client satisfaction score
- 10/10 for Speller Metcalfe’s consideration to neighbours working or living in the surrounding areas.
- 9/10 for Speller Metcalfe’s ability to add value
- 41% of supply chain spend with local companies
- £100 worth of mental health initiatives supported on site
“Speller Metcalfe’s partnering, and non-adversarial approach brought value to the project in terms of developing good working relationships with the common goal of completing the project on time and to a high standard. Both phases have been delivered in line with the project requirements and ultimately on time and to a high standard.” – Mike Taylo, Capital Programme Manager for Hereford and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust.
Exterior of The Elgar Unit-Speller Metcalfe
Interior of The Elgar Unit-Speller Metcalfe