A new South Bristol health centre that has been designed and constructed to achieve the highest sustainability ratings for its design, has opened its doors to patients.
The purpose-built Marksbury Road Surgery is part of Bridge View Medical which unites four South Bristol GP surgeries. Moving from a 1930s building, patients at Marksbury Road are now able to benefit from radically improved facilities in the new health centre, including 20 different consulting rooms for treatments and minor operations, as well as an on-site pharmacy.
The specialist primary health team at GVA has been advising the GP Practice through all stages of delivery of the £2.5m construction project, from consultancy, funding advice and land acquisition, through to design, and project management.
Dr Sue Latham, GP partner, says, “It’s a real delight to open the doors of our new centre. It’s been in the planning for some time, and not only does it offer first rate facilities for all our patients, it also offers all our staff state-of-the-art working conditions.”
GPs at the Marksbury Road Surgery had sustainability high on their list of priorities when working with architects and project managers at GVA to deliver the new health centre. To help achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating, real estate adviser GVA adopted an innovative approach to construction, namely the inclusion of a pre-fabricated cross laminated timber frame. It is believed that the Marksbury Road Surgery is one of the first medical practices in the UK to benefit from this construction method.
A BREEAM Excellent rating has been achieved for the new building thanks to a number of features specified in the design by GVA.
The cross laminated timber frame – which took just five weeks to erect – is just one of the features that helped the new building achieve its important eco credentials. Photo voltaic panels on the roof help heat the water, while a Sustainable Drainage System (SUDs) is a natural approach to managing surface water drainage.
Main Contractor for the project was Melhuish & Saunders of Glastonbury, Somerset.
Christian Cartlidge MRICS, project manager at GVA in Bristol says, “Having a sustainable building was high on the list of priorities for the GPs. We’re delighted that this has now reached fruition, and we’ve been able to deliver a modern, state-of-the-art centre. Timber frames make the speed of construction a very attractive proposition, whilst playing an important part in our aim to achieve BREEAM Excellent status for the building.
“The new practice is designed over two floors, with enhanced facilities for patients. Light, airy and spacious, the new centre will provide a much-improved environment for the practice’s patients and staff.”
