Congratulations to Hawkins Brown and the team behind the Central Surgery, Sawbridgeworth. RIBA East has recently announced an award for this general practice building, which is based in Hertfordshire.
We are pleased to have been involved in the process of change and improvement. The surgery has been expanded over a number of years, so this has been a long-term project.
The biggest changes came with the construction of a brand new two-storey extension to the existing building. This provided nine new consulting rooms and two rooms for minor operations. There is also a new reception area and ancillary space.
Working closely with the architect Hawkins Brown and contractor MP Build, we succeeded in an acoustic design which achieved the BREEAM status Very Good.
Stage Two of the design was a complete refurbishment of the original building. Despite significant technical challenges, the surgery has been able to remain functioning throughout the construction and refurbishment period.
Though at times a significant challenge, we met the criteria for external plant noise and ensured compliance with the Department of Health Technical Memorandum HTM 08-01: Acoustics.
The result is a surgery fit for the 21st century, offering a greatly improved service to the community. The RIBA Award is thoroughly justified and not a complete surprise.
