Castle View Care Centre

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Wessex Care are one of the leading providers of Nursing and Residential Care in South Wiltshire, and have recently completed work at Castle View Care Centre, the latest phase of their exciting programme of expansion and refurbishment of their Care Centres in Salisbury to meet Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards, current and future needs.

Wessex Care have an unsurpassed reputation for providing high-quality, 'person-centred' care in small, friendly homes where the individual needs of each resident are paramount (finalists in the National Care Awards 2021).

The development at Castle View involved the demolition of the existing, outdated non CQC compliant building to accommodate a new four storey thirty bed purpose-built Care Centre fully compliant with the latest Care Quality Commission standards. In conjunction with the building works, improvements were made to the highway access, parking, and re-modelling and re-landscaping of the grounds.

D E S I G N   P H I L O S O P H Y  

The design philosophy evolved and was developed through an iterative process, led by a thorough review of the site's constraints and opportunities, discussions with the Planning Consultant, the Council’s Planning Officers, Care Professionals and the local community.

It was always the intention to retain the traditional styled domestic character of the original building on the road frontage, with the wing towards the rear designed to have more of a contemporary character and feature angled bays to avoid the overlooking of adjacent properties in a manner that met the brief, complimented the character of the area and respected the amenities of the surrounding residential properties.

In order to accommodate the range of facilities required, extensive use has been

 made of the sloping nature of the site to locate functions that are not dependent

 upon high levels of natural light in a Lower Ground Floor/Semi-Basement; the

 building volume above existing ground levels and footprint are, therefore, as

 compact as possible.

The completed development creates a modern care home that better meets the needs of the residents, which is more suitable than the previous with user-friendly level access achieved for visitors and emergency vehicles alike, alongside providing 30 bedrooms with en-suite shower rooms that are CQC compliant. 

S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

The new build adopts the principles of sealed construction with high levels of thermal insulation and particular attention to thermal bridging details, exceeding the standards of the current Building Regulations. All light fittings within the building are ‘low energy’ type LEDs and external lighting is designed so as not to waste light energy or cause light spill/pollution. All double-glazing units have a Low E coating to the inside face of the outer pane, and the sealed units are filled with Argon gas. Although larger, the new care home with its energy efficient boilers and control features will reduce the energy loads and use of fossil fuels/other energy sources.

Wherever possible labour and materials were sourced locally, and materials were from sustainable sources to minimise the carbon footprint of the development and construction process. Waste material from the reduce dig were reused.

Using modern design principles, equipment and controls the new building is more efficient than the former, the energy efficiency of the building having been greatly improved.

Selective planting in the Sensory Garden enhances the ecological benefits to the site. The site is located on the outskirts of Salisbury City Centre and is on a bus route.

L A N D S C A P I N G

(H A R D / S O F T)

The site is visually subdivided into three areas, front being a parking area with

 supporting planting and trees in a more formal style; side and rear garden.

 There is a complementary landscaping running along the sides of the building to

 enhance views from the GF level and upper floors.

 The proposed layout and planting for the rear garden is informal and fluid

 connecting the exterior with the building through terraces and a stepped walkway,

 complementing daily care in way to provide practical solutions for the following: -

• Accessible outdoor space

• Finding way around– such as paths

• Remaining aware of place – focal points and signs

• Stimulations of everyday activities

• Recognizing and using objects- traditional and familiar objects such as garden furniture

• Minimising risk of falls and risk of people leaving the care setting– smooth surfaces, handrails, safe access

• Using multisensory information to help people engage with their surroundings (sensory garden)

I N T E R N A L   L A Y O U T

Providing 30 Resident Rooms arranged over four floors, great care was taken to avoid the need for steps or excessive use of ramps. Efficiently, a single lift can serve the whole of the development.

The Club House, Meeting Room, Assisted Bath/Spa, Health and Beauty, Managers Care Office, Commercial Kitchen, Plant/Laundry Rooms, Staff Breakout and Showers, and other utility services are located within the semi-basement (Ground Floor) which is accessed from the roadside through the main entrance.

The bedrooms are spread out over the first, second and third floors, with each floor having its own Lounge/Dining Room, Activities Area, Nurse Station, Sluice Room, Kitchenette and Storage Areas to enable each level to operate efficiently.

Furthermore, there is access to the Lower Terrace from the First Floor with an access stair directly up to the Garden/Patio. The Second Floor has direct access out to the Patio/Garden at the rear and the Third Floor has a curved feature stair down to the Garden/Patio.