13 March 2013
Yorkon Awarded Contract for the Biggest Health Project to be Built Off Site in the UK
Off-site construction specialist, Yorkon, has been awarded its largest ever building project, and what is believed to be the biggest and most complex healthcare scheme to be built off site in the UK. The £17.9m contract for principal contractor Kier Construction is to construct a new Women and Children's Centre at North Middlesex University Hospital.
Due for completion later this year, the scheme is part of a major reorganisation of hospital services in the boroughs of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey to increase the level of clinical activity and to help accommodate the rise in birth rates. The architects and project managers are AHP.
The project, which was procured under the ProCure21+ framework, is being built off site at the Yorkon production centre in York. This approach will radically reduce disruption to patient care and the build programme to ensure the new facilities will be operational before the busy winter period.
The building will provide a larger consultant-led delivery unit with additional high dependency beds, two new obstetrics theatres, a neonatal unit, triage centre, women's outpatient department, a midwife-led birthing unit with four birthing pool rooms, a postnatal ward with discharge lounge, and a transitional care unit to support neonatal care. A roof top plant room will be located on the second floor.
The scheme will be constructed using the new Yorkon off-site building system and will comprise 152 steel-framed modules up to 18m long and in many different sizes and configurations to suit the building's design and site. The units will be craned into position with doors, windows, first fix electrics and plumbing, and a high performance concrete floor pre-installed.
Commenting on the project, Simon Ambler, Director at Yorkon said, "We are delighted to be working on our third project with Kier - and our second major healthcare scheme with their company. This is our largest ever contract and its complexities demonstrate just what is now achievable with an advanced off-site building system."
"The approach will significantly reduce the programme time and any disruption during construction, to the benefit of patient care - and will result in a high quality healthcare facility built under the ProCure21+ framework."
Clive Watson, Project Manager at Kier Construction, said, "The biggest advantage of off-site construction on this project is speed. We anticipate it will reduce the delivery time by around three months enabling us to have the new facilities up and running ahead of the busy winter period. It will also bring quality benefits because it allows so much of the construction to take place off site in a controlled factory environment that is not affected by poor weather conditions. Our experience with Yorkon and their level of engagement from the outset has been very positive to date."
The external appearance of the new building will reflect the design of the adjacent facilities and will feature rendered façades, ribbon glazing around the perimeter of the first floor, a large atrium entrance spanning two storeys with light wells providing further natural daylight inside. There is also full height glazing to the stair towers on each of the two wings and large projecting window bays provide a visual contrast to the rendered finish across the building envelope.
The scheme is targeted to achieve a BREEAM 'excellent' rating and has a number of sustainability features including a green sedum roof to part of the first floor, photovoltaic panels above the plant room, and an energy efficient combined heat and power system.
Yorkon has an extensive track record in the healthcare sector, having completed a wide variety of bespoke off-site building projects including ward extensions, self-contained theatre blocks, emergency care units, haemodialysis centres, offices, community clinics, and complete hospitals, delivering all the advantages of off-site construction.
Yorkon is part of the Portakabin Group.
