- Client Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCfT)
- Location Wesham
- Services Landscape Architecture
- Sector Healthcare
A new community-facing NHS mental health rehabilitation centre
The former Wesham Hospital Rehabilitation site on Mowbreck Lane which had been closed for more than ten years has been refurbished and extended to form a new community-facing NHS mental health rehabilitation centre. The 28-bed centre includes treatment rooms, living space, therapy gardens and a community café at the entrance. It is designed to provide a bridge between acute care and community living, providing support for those that require some support to regain skills and confidence to live independently.
Credit: Eric Wright
Urban Green’s landscape architecture team worked closely with the client and Preston based architect Frank Whittle Partnership to ensure the tight planning deadline was met.
The landscape design strategy incorporated ecological elements to improve the biodiversity and the environmental benefits across the site. This was achieved by the increasing the planting of both native and ornamental species, the retention of existing boundary trees and vegetation, and the introduction of various ecological habitat features. Numerous design features of interest created opportunities for group socialising and quiet reflection, along with multiple community activity areas.
Three distinct character zones were created:
- A community garden;
- Planted quiet garden; and
- Therapy garden and children’s visiting garden
Each zone had a different user function with different features to give each space an individual identity. These were unified by their naturalistic style, biodiverse sensory planting, ecological features to promote calming feel to improve the wellbeing of the users.
“Thanks to the team at Urban Green over last 2 years for all the assistance and design on the external works. Its’s been a pleasure leading the design team on this project. It has not been easy through the Covid period, but we have all pulled together and handover imminent and finished product is looking well with some truly innovative and inclusive designs.”
Neil Melling, Senior Architectural Technician, Frank Whittle Partnership