COLLABORATE DESIGN

The Royal Hospital Chelsea is the home to the world famous 'Chelsea Pensioners'. The site was commissioned by King Charles II and designed by Sir Christoper Wren. It remains a home for 320 former soldiers who, otherwise, would be spending their advanced years alone. The site is a mix of accommodation from retirement home to cutting edge aged care facility enabling retired soldiers to spend the rest of their lives there.  

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Steffian Bradley Architects won the competition to design the new infirmary building on the world famous Royal Hospital Chelsea site. Due to a number of issues outside of SBA's control, the Royal Hospital decided to award the Architecture to Quinlan and Francis Terry whilst SBA would develop the interior architecture and fit out as well as all the specialist aged care design.

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My role began once the new design had been approved. I led the architect team to develop the design and fit out in line with the RHC's requirements. Since they had not developed accommodation on their site for a number of years, we needed to work through the brief first and then design in detail. I spent time in the USA visiting care homes and other aged care facilities to enable us to offer cutting edge medical care design. We spent time understanding the end users and who the RHC felt would be their biggest 'medical group' into the future - good quality dementia care was one of the high priority's as well as those with acute physical issues but with a clear mind, certainly two opposing user groups. Lastly, the RHC was about to welcome ladies into the facility as part of their equality of care. We helped to support how they would ultimately be integrated within the infirmary building.

"Aspiring to be the best aged care facility in the world"