Selecting a cladding material for the new Jigsaw Building at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital presented no puzzle for architects Stride Treglown. Trespa® Meteon® was chosen to provide a ventilated facade, scoring on appearance and cost, as well as contributing to energy efficiency.
The two-storey building has provided the hospital with a 21,000 sq.ft. women’s health centre. The facilities now available include oncology, haematology, breast and pregnancy care, along with cancer and blood disorder treatment, as well as administrative offices.
The Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s Jigsaw charity raised funding in support of the £5.7 million building project, giving its name to the state-of-the-art-care centre.
The architects wished to ensure that, both inside and out, the building created a friendly environment where patients could feel at ease despite the tensions aroused by medical procedures. The use of timber effect materials and complementing colours helps provide a relaxing, domestic feel despite a highly clinical finish. The building is wrapped in variegated tones of Trespa® Meteon® Wood Decors cladding on the first floor, punctured with ribbon windows, white brick to the ground floor and an undulated roof form to conceal roof top plant.
“Stride Treglown wanted to use a material that was ‘natural’ in appearance, but that stood out from the existing hospital palette of materials,” says architect Jessica Ellis. “We generally try and use materials with a ‘natural’ appearance where possible within healthcare environments as they can provide calming spaces for patients and staff.”
It was also important for the client that the building was as low maintenance and as energy efficient as possible and the 600sq. metres of Trespa® Meteon® cladding contributed to this within the tight budget available for the project.
In total, seven timber effect grains and colours from the Trespa® Meteon® range were supplied. Stride Treglown varied the mix of these along the main elevations providing visual interest but also breaking up the appearance of the large scale elevations. By specifying the matt effect panels – all of which were new additions to the Trespa® Meteon® range when the project was designed – the building achieves a more natural timber appearance in direct sunlight as there is a reduced glare from the matt texture.
“This project proves that design does not need to be expensive. Using a variety of colours and narrow panels has added no extra cost. It also proves that a surface fixing does not detract from the design,” said Simon Vicary, Trespa’s Regional Sales Manager.
Trespa® Meteon® is a decorative high-pressure compact laminate (HPL) with an integral surface manufactured using the company’s unique in-house technologies; Electron Beam Curing (EBC) and Dry Forming (DF). The blend of up to 70% natural fibres and thermosetting resins, manufactured under high pressures and temperatures yields a highly stable, dense panel with good strength-to-weight ratios.
Client: Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Architect: Stride Treglown
Main Contractor: Brymor Contractors Ltd, Hampshire.