Health & Wellbeing

Whitfield Clinic

Brief

Whitfield Clinic was the first in an ambitious programme of private healthcare facilities to be commissioned by EuroCare International.  HKR Architects and Keppie Design combined their expertise in a joint venture to deliver the Client's vision of providing patient-centred, high quality healthcare services in a state-of-the-art private hospital.  We worked closely with The Health Partnership, the Client's healthcare planners, to develop a schedule of accommodation which would help to fulfil this vision.  A considerable focus of the brief was to incorporate the increasing volume of ambulatory care being undertaken, particularly within the private sector.

Response

The thirteen thousand square metre hospital contains forty ensuite single in-patient beds, twenty four day surgery beds, four operating theatres, two endoscopy suites, diagnostic imaging facilities and radiotherapy incorporating two linear accelerators.  There are also twelve consulting suites, physiotherapy and a small 'urgent care' unit, together with appropriate front-of-house accommodation.  A joint venture between EuroCare and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) required us to work closely with UPMC to provide radiotherapy services on their "hub and satellite" model, linking patients being treated at Whitfield to the expertise and technology available at the UPMC in Pittsburgh.  The design proposals were strongly influenced by contemporary hotel design and the state-of-the-art clinical procedures practised or carried out within the building.

Outcome

Set on the edge of the city of Waterford, the hospital takes full advantage of its semi-rural setting, with many of the rooms enjoying views across open countryside.  The design acknowledges patient dignity and reflects the current interest of the role played by high quality healthcare environments in the healing process.  This was recognised in the shortlisting of Whitfield Clinic for Building Better Healthcare Awards 2007 in Best International Design Category.

Team