Case Study
Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Centre
01 / Case Study
Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Centre
DSSR performed the role of M&E services design for Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Centre, a new build facility. Our services included sustainability appraisals and thermal modeling from conception through to completion.
Location / Northumbria Wy, Cramlington
Contract Value / £70m
Architect / Keppie Design Architects
Client / Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Completion / 2015
02 / Overview
Overview of the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Centre project
The project was a 30,000m2, 3-storey development, comprising of main Accident & Emergency services, in-patient wards, theatres, critical care, pathology laboratories, and maternity facilities.
Bespoke Electrical Design
Designing the facility involved considering a range of systems, including the Building Energy Management System (BEMS), Lighting Management System, Access Control System, Unitary Controllers for Chilled Beams & Fan Coil Units, Smoke Control System, Fire Alarm System, Vertical Transportation System, Natural Ventilation System, and Generator PLC / SCADA Control System. Additionally, extensive electrical considerations were incorporated, such as the use of fully-withdrawable HV switchgear located in the hospital’s main energy centre, which operates an 11kV private network configured as an open ring distributing to two twin transformer substations located at key load centres around the site.
Automatic standby generation was provided by three 11kV diesel generators arranged N+1, connected to the HV network via a dedicated HV switchgear. The HV distribution is controlled using a bespoke EMS PLC, which provides control and monitoring of HV and LV switchgear devices and standby generators. This system was programmed to automatically respond to power failures and faults while allowing manual intervention for routine maintenance to minimize interruptions to the hospital service.
Unique Challenges
Being involved in such a unique building, we were faced with unique challenges. For example, the geometric shape of the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Centre made the design of the distribution of the service more challenging. Having the internal plant room at ground level also posed more challenges to the team, however, it also encouraged us to think outside the box, ultimately driving us to create a wholly unique design which was very rewarding.
Energy & Carbon Emissions was a very big factor in the project. The state-of-the-art hospital incorporates sustainable M&E design factors to reduce energy consumption. DSSR carried out various options in order to reduce the energy and carbon, whilst maximising the availability of FITs and ROCs.
