Breathing Space

The region's history of steel working and coal mining industries has resulted locally in a higher than normal incidence of former workers suffering from respiratory illnesses. The Coalfields Regeneration Trust, the Rotherham Primary Care Trust and Rotherham MBC have partnered to provide this centre. Many patients will be elderly and have other health problems caused by their respiratory problem, such as obesity resulting from inability to exercise.

The building is the first of its kind in the country and aims to be a centre of excellence in the field. The project has been endorsed by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott who visited the site at the outset of construction with Health Minister Rosie Winterton, Rotherham MP Denis MacShane and Rotherham Council Leader Roger Stone.

Breathing Space location map

Built on the sloping site of a former hospital, the new building of three stories has a steel frame, concrete floors and incorporates exposed wide span glulam beams. The sloping site has enabled a large under croft to be sympathetically incorporated into the design. This under croft has a major role in the operation of the natural air-handling within the building.

The main block has 20 bedrooms providing respite care for patients, sometimes accompanied by their carers. There are also two lifts, offices, storerooms and staff accommodation.

This block also has a large full height atrium designed to encourage social interaction and activity. It provides a welcome change of environment for patients, many of whom might otherwise be confined to their bedrooms. The atrium has been designed to be naturally light and airy. Freshness will be achieved by planting, including mature trees set in purpose designed concrete waterproofed planters.

The photograph shows the inside of the atrium under construction.

The attached single storey block provides a kitchen and accommodation for day care patients, occupational therapists and treatment facilities, consulting rooms and a gymnasium.

The building has been designed using a "natural design" philosophy developed in collaboration with Cambridge University. Unusually for a building of this size, the internal spaces are naturally ventilated and cooled. The absence of electro-mechanical air conditioning equipment has enabled the money saved to enhance other elements of the building. Running costs will also be lower.

Air is drawn in naturally through the under croft and channelled into the atrium, leaving via the eyebrow roofs. The mass of the floors and walls was calculated so as to provide the thermal capacity needed to regulate the building's temperature by heating or cooling as required. The under croft air inlet and eyebrow roofs have air flow controls to regulate the internal environment. The rooms have openable windows so occupants can have more control of their own space.

Care was taken to site the air inlet away from roads and car parking areas, so as to minimise the introduction of pollutants to the internal spaces.

A major factor in the air quality for patients with respiratory illnesses is the control of relative humidity of the air. A RH value of between 40 to 60% is acknowledged as promoting health and providing the best comfort levels. Occupants of any building naturally give off significant water vapour during the day. To help disperse this vapour, particularly in the bedroom areas, the walls are designed to be microporous so as to be vapour permeable. This is achieved by using a structure of interlocking clay blocks faced with lime plaster. The blocks are made to closer tolerances than traditional concrete blocks, and they are laid with a 2 mm bed joint.

At the time, the clay blocks had to be obtained from Germany and this led to logistical problems, though the blocks can now be obtained in the UK. The lime plaster, although a material used since ancient times, is unfamiliar to modern day plasterers and there was a learning curve to be experienced in its use.

Another unusual product was used to face the external walls in the bedroom areas. This was clay board, made of compacted clay faced with Hessian. No cement is used. As well as providing a micro-porous design solution, the material is from a sustainable resource and is environmentally-friendly.

The roof posed its own problems. It has a large overhang to provide solar shielding to the facade. The atrium is designed on the north light principle to maximise natural daylight without solar gain. The double curvature eyebrow roofs posed the joiners some headaches!

The project also features a sustainable and eco-friendly geo-thermal heating system. A water/glycol solution is circulated through 20 No. 100 m deep grouted 150 diameter boreholes. The return water has been naturally heated through 12 degrees Centigrade, and via a heat-exchanger, this heat is distributed as required within the building by under floor heating pipes. Additional renewable energy is obtained by solar panels.

The siting of the building caused controversy during the planning application process, when local residents lodged objections on the grounds that the building would be out of scale in what is a predominantly residential area. The other buildings on and near the site are single and two stories. The designers have provided a partial remedy to the height problem by keeping ceiling heights low. Most rooms do not have a ceiling void for services, saving 600mm of building height per floor. Services are carried in ceiling voids to the corridors, where a lower ceiling height is acceptable. Residents fears were allayed suring a planning board site visit.

The building has been delivered by  RCP, an in-house design team including architects, structural engineers, mechanical/electrical engineers and one of the Council's partner contractors, Wates Construction. A target price methodology has been used for the building procurement. This form of contract, within the partnering framework, promotes a close working relationship between all members of the delivery team with an emphasis on problem solving, not claim resolution. The expected out-turn cost for the building is £7.2 million.

Construction started in March 2006 and is due for completion on 8th February 2007. Following commissioning, patients are expected from March 2007.

In summary, a unique building whose design has focused on providing the best possible environment for its eventual occupants - patients with severe respiratory illnesses. Engineers have chosen materials which deliver sustainability and are environmentally friendly through the use of clay blocks with lime plaster, combined with minimising future energy usage through natural ventilation with geothermal and solar heating.