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A picture of Foleshill Health Centre

Foleshill Health Centre not only the greenest but winner of winners

The team behind the UK’s greenest health care building Foleshill Health Centre, in Coventry won the Sustainability Award,  the Offsite Award and the Value Award at the Constructing Excellence West Midlands ceremony on 10 September 2021.  In addition, Foleshill Health Centre was ‘Winner of Winners’ on the night further establishing this innovative primary care building as an example for future sustainable NHS estate design.

The build team were shortlisted for two other awards ‘Building Project of the Year’ and ‘Client of the Year’ with Portakabin (main contractor), Tooley Foster (Architects) and AECOM (infrastructure specialists).

Foleshill Health Centre is the first and only British health building awaiting certification to the globally recognised Passivhaus standard for building energy efficiency.  CHP chose the Passivhaus approach for its overall sustainability ethos with low running costs and health benefits.

The £3.3 million project is a partnership between CHP and NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).  The Centre is a high-quality building for GPs, primary care staff and patients.  It has five consulting rooms and two treatment rooms, serving an area of Coventry with high health needs.

The primary care health centre was completed in June 2021.  The GP team from Foleshill Surgery, part of Coventry and Rugby GP Alliance, moved into the state-of-the-art building and started treating patients in mid-August 2021.  Practical completion took place during the Covid-19 pandemic – 10 months from the start of the build to a finished facility.

Waiting Room and Reception at Foleshill Health Centre, Coventry

Treatment Room at Foleshill Health Centre

Sustainability Award – Leading the way for sustainable healthcare in the UK

As the UK’s first health centre built to meet Passivhaus standards, Foleshill leads the way for carbon emissions reduction in this type of building and demonstrates its potential for repetition and upscaling across the future health estate.  Foleshill contributes to the NHS carbon net-zero target and supports its aim to be the world’s first net-zero national health service.

Passivhaus and sustainable features at Foleshill Health Centre

  • The building is highly insulated, so it is warm in winter and cool in the summer.
  • The energy-efficient features include triple glazed windows, which can be opened if required.
  • All rooms have filtered 100% fresh air from ducts in the ceiling, supplied from ventilation units that recover heat from stale air leaving the building. The air is filtered to a similar standard as an operating theatre, ensuring a safe and clean environment (ISO ePM1 – June 2021).
  • There is a small heating system using air source heat pumps connected to small radiators.
  • Photovoltaic (solar) panels on the roof provide electricity.
  • All the lighting is provided by energy-efficient LED lamps.
  • No fossil fuels are used in the building.

Foleshill Health Centre – Mechanical Heat Recovery Unit

Airsource heat recovery pumps at Foleshill Health Centre

Offsite Award:

Built with 14 specially designed Portakabin modules to Passivhaus standards, there were only 25 weeks between 10 December 2020, when the modules were delivered on-site in Coventry, and practical completion on 4 June 2021.  This is significantly less than a traditionally constructed building and the building was watertight in three days in December 2021.

Foleshill Health Centre from the south with sunshades on the windows

Value Award:

Foleshill Health Centre has achieved an energy performance rating (EPC) A and is built to achieve BREEAM Excellent.  Annual utility running costs for the building are expected to be a third of the cost of a traditional build, giving significant savings over its lifetime

“It’s great to have the external acknowledgement of the value add that CHP has delivered at Foleshill.  This reinforces the need to optimise the whole life cost of developments, and not just the initial build cost.” said Eugene Prinsloo, Developments Director at CHP.

Future Award ceremonies

There are more awards ceremonies including the Offsite Awards (21 September) and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) on 14 October 2021, Constructing Excellence in Yorkshire & Humber Awards (25 November) with more award shortlist announcements due.

Foleshill Health Centre video

CHP has a YouTube video with drone footage and some key facts about Foleshill Health Centre – the first UK  health centre built to meet international Passivhaus standards for low energy usage and sustainability.

Winner of Winners at West Midlands Constructing Excellence Awards

There were 19 categories decided on the night with Foleshill Health Centre becoming Winner of Winners at the ceremony. It was particularly gratifying that some of the team from Coventry and Rugby GP Alliance (the GP provider) and members of NHS E/I Midlands Estates team were at the Awards ceremony to see the recognition for this innovative building from the leaders in construction excellence.

Foleshill Health Centre side view to front door white render black windows wooden effect panels blue sky
Foleshill Health Centre from the west – The UK’s greenest healthcare building

“We are proud to receive another four awards for Sustainability, Offsite, Value and Winner of Winners. It is fantastic to be recognised time and time again for this innovative and exceptionally well-delivered project. Foleshill is becoming the benchmark for how sustainable health buildings can be in the future” said Malcolm Twite Executive Director, Property Performance, at CHP.

NHS Carbon Footprint

Foleshill Health Centre contributes to the NHS Carbon Footprint Plus aim.  The health estate makes up 4-5% of England’s carbon footprint.

  • The NHS Carbon Footprint (emissions NHS controls directly), will be net zero by 2040, with the ambition to reach an 80% reduction from 2028-2032
  • The NHS Carbon Footprint Plus (emissions NHS can influence), will be net zero by 2045, with the ambition to reach an 80% reduction from 2036-2

Read more about the #GreenerNHS www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/

13 September 2021

Delivery partners:

Portakabin (Main contractor), Tooley Foster Architects (Passivhaus experts), AECOM (infrastructure consultants) and Arden Estate Partnerships Limited (development management).

Awards: Constructing Excellence East Midlands – Winner of the Offsite Award and Highly Commended in the Value Award (2 Sept 2021).

Find out about Passivhaus: Passivhaus Trust www.passivhaustrust.org.uk Video: Passivhaus explained in 90 seconds

Read more:
News about Foleshill Health Centre, Coventry

Photography: Beth Walsh www.bethwalsh.co.uk
Drone/Timelapse: Heavy-Duty Time-Lapse www.hd-t.co.uk

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Suite 12b, Manchester One
53 Portland Street
Manchester
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