Healthcare and Architecture: Northern Ireland's Legacy

Saul Golden (Editor)

Research output: Book/ReportAnthologypeer-review

Abstract

This book, edited by the author, contains two of his original contributions; part of a boxset exploring Healthcare, Housing, and Education architecture in Northern Ireland (ISBN 9780955872853). Commissioned by The Arts Council NI, and published by PLACE Ltd., the set showcases projects completed since 2002, critiques project shortcomings, and makes recommendations to Government and statutory authorities about future public investment and architectural procurement. Healthcare and Architecture presents four case-studies. From a peer-reviewed shortlist of architects with previous healthcare design and research experience, the PLACE Board invited the author to edit the healthcare volume, contribute a case study on Grove Wellbeing Centre, and write the Foreword. As vehicles for debate, aimed primarily at a non-professional audience – policy makers in government and statutory bodies – responsible for capital decision-making and procurement, these contributions concentrate on architectural analysis and evaluation, necessarily abbreviating discussions about research methodology.The Grove is a distinctive UK project, combining healthcare with leisure and education functions in a single high-quality designed facility. The author’s case study updates a previously published 2009 article (Perspective, Journal of The Royal Society of Ulster Architects). The revised building analysis includes additional feedback from the architects, public-body clients and Centre staff. It evaluates the continuing importance of architecture and construction to the project’s success, arguing that higher initial investments in quality architecture and a unique cross-departmental procurement help improve lifecycle-costs and services delivery while contributing to wider neighbourhood regeneration efforts. The chapter concludes that the project is a model for collaborative strategic planning and capital investment in a time of cutbacks. In the Foreword, further scholarship and data about current healthcare issues to contextualise all four case study contributions, and to emphasise how quality design – a fraction of life-time costs – needs to remain at the forefront of considerations for future service delivery and capital expenditure.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationBelfast, Northern Ireland
PublisherPLACE
Number of pages36
ISBN (Print)978-9558728-2-2
Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - 2012

Bibliographical note

Editor is also the author of the following sections:
"Foreword," pages 8-11, and "Grove Wellbeing Centre," pages 25-31.
The Healthcare volume is part of a three-volume Boxset, ISBN 9780955872853

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