Barkan-mad For It on Isle of Dogs
16/7/08
The Barkantine Health Centre on the Isle of Dogs has been nominated a finalist.
The Barkantine Health Centre on the Isle of Dogs, a Hunters" Hammersmith project, has been nominated as a finalist in this year’s Regeneration and Renewal Awards in the category for "Best Social Regeneration Project". This unique scheme is a multi-functional health centre providing GP services, administrative space, café, pharmacy, mental health suite, an NHS dental suite and a birthing centre, described by some as a "birthing hotel". The project was completed in December 2007.
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The project has been a success for its growing importance within the local community and environment. The external walls and roof have been designed to reduce impact on surrounding housing whilst still providing a large and community focused health centre. The building acts as both health centre during the day and has large meeting rooms which can be isolated from the rest of the building for community run groups at all times including evenings and weekends. This has successfully reduced the centre"s waste and running costs.
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The area had been suffering from an unbalance of a reduced number of GPs to a massive increase in population. The new centre aims to attract professionals back into the area by creating an environment which is conducive to their needs and services with good facilities provided within a light and simple design. It has also raised to the challenge of mixing GPs with regional staff (midwifes / nurses etc) by creating an open plan office rather than individual rooms.
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The Barkantine was a winner in the "Innovation category" in this year’s ‘LIFT Awards’.
