Healthcare buildings never stand still. Every day, they need to provide safe, comfortable environments for patients and staff while operating as efficiently and sustainably as possible.

That's exactly what the Dartmoor Building at Derriford Hospital was designed to achieve.

Since November 2023, H&K have been proud to provide the MEP design for this new facility, bringing together the Urgent Treatment Centre, Fracture Clinic, Outpatients and Pre-Operative Assessment into a modern healthcare environment... all delivered within an 18 month programme on a live hospital site.

From the outset, the focus was on creating a building that would minimise operational energy without compromising the clinical environmental standards expected within a busy healthcare setting.

A low-carbon servicing strategy was therefore developed around high-efficiency air source heat pumps, providing both heating and cooling, alongside mechanical ventilation with heat recovery to maximise energy efficiency while maintaining occupant comfort and indoor air quality.

This approach was complemented by an enhanced building envelope, reducing heat loss and lowering overall heating and cooling demand. LED lighting with intelligent controls further reduces energy consumption, while an integrated BMS continuously monitors energy use and optimises plant performance to suit the building's day-to-day operation.

On-site renewable generation also formed a key part of our energy strategy, with a sizable roof mounted photovoltaic array generating more than 140,000 kWh of electricity annually, helping reduce operational carbon emissions and support the NHS's wider decarbonisation ambitions.

Designing for the future was just as important as designing for today. Dynamic thermal modelling, using projected future weather data, was carried out to demonstrate that the building can continue to maintain comfortable internal conditions as our climate changes.

The Dartmoor Building is already making a difference, serving between 600 and 1,000 people every day and we're incredibly proud to have contributed to a project that recently received the Delivering Value Award at the Constructing Excellence Awards.

Congratulations to Stride Treglown, Nevada Construction, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust and everyone involved in delivering this outstanding project.