Within just one year of opening, a new Child Development Centre (CDC) constructed by LST Projects has been recognised with top industry awards.
Based at Crawley Hospital, the CDC is where children and young people are seen by community paediatricians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech and language experts.
The creatively designed space provides a welcoming environment for families while also catering for operational staff needs. A key element is a calming and spacious waiting area. This has been achieved thanks to a sculptural feature tree surrounded by playful seating and cubby holes. A quiet waiting room, audiology booths, therapy rooms, a changing area and office space add to the facilities.
At the IHEEM Healthcare Estates Awards 2024, the CDC was crowned ‘Refurbishment of the Year.’ Jefferson Sheard Architects picked up the award, which was based on criteria including originality, innovation, quality of planning and execution.
The quality of the refurbishment was also recognised at the Building Better Healthcare Awards where the project was ‘Highly Commended’ in the Best Interior Design Project category.
Meanwhile at the 2024 UK Graphic Awards, Signs Express (Southampton), which worked with LST to provide more than 300 sq m of wall graphics for the CDC, scooped gold in the Branded Interiors category.
Forming part of the NHS Property Services Healthy Places Programme, the CDC replaces a smaller, outdated facility elsewhere in the hospital. The £2.6m refurbishment saw the LST team carry out demolition works to the second floor of the hospital’s Yellow Wing. New internal room layouts were then created with metal stud partitioning that met specific acoustic criteria. The installation of new folding doors, an acoustic sliding door and three hoists were also part of our scope of works.
Describing the project’s outcome, Helen Watson, Clinical Service Manager at Crawley & Horsham Child Development Services, said:
“The new centre looks fantastic and will help us deliver care to children and families in a more innovative and multi-professional manner. It will assist us in focusing on patient-centred care in an environment that is designed to be friendly and welcoming for children, young people, and their families.
“The health and wellbeing of staff has been significantly enhanced and we can already see a more positive response from children and families when they arrive for their appointments.”
