Grove View Integrated Health and Care Hub in Dunstable – designed by Penoyre & Prasad and LLP / ECE Architecture – redefines healthcare delivery by combining cutting-edge design, state-of-the-art facilities, and a patient-centred approach. With a focus on early engagement, placemaking, and an innovative standardised model for delivery, Grove View aims to enhance patient and service-user experience, improve access to care, and promote overall wellbeing at the community’s heart. The new facility integrates health and care providers to deliver health and wellbeing services for the local community. Delivered with support from the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICP, and Central Bedfordshire Council, it will serve around 50,000 people in the local area, providing accessible healthcare provision for all.
The four-storey 6,375 m2 health and care hub offers a wide range of primary and community care services and voluntary sector activities, including general practice, social care, mental healthcare, services for children and people with long-term conditions, and dental suites, to name just a few. Bringing these services together in one place provides personalised, easy access, holistic care for all patients.
Cura system principles
The hub design was delivered using the Cura system principles. The Cura model – an offering from Collida, Willmott Dixon’s integrated construction platform – is a suite of pre-designed modules which can be assembled into healthcare buildings to suit the unique needs of each community. The pre-designed model brings a number of benefits, including consistency, efficiency adaptability, and enhanced building performance. As well as the Health Hub, the development includes 98 later living homes in a scheme which seeks to be a good example of joined-up development. It aims to create a sense of place, homes, and health, for all, co-located in the heart of the community
Willmott Dixon was engaged in this scheme from RIBA Stage 0. From the beginning, we worked closely with Central Bedfordshire Council and the ICP, providers of NHS services, and the primary care network, to develop the brief / clinical service model, and presented various masterplanning options to shape the scheme. This level of involvement allowed Willmott Dixon to deeply understand the needs and aspirations of the local community, healthcare providers, and residents over 55. By actively involving stakeholders in the decision-making process, we ensured that Grove View’s design and functionality align with the community’s vision and requirements. This collaborative approach not only fosters a sense of ownership among stakeholders, but also enhances the overall quality and relevance of the facility, resulting in a more successful and impactful project. This early engagement meant Willmott Dixon could gather valuable insights and expertise, and deliver a facility that truly meets the diverse needs of this community. As a result, Grove View boasts a thoughtful layout, efficient use of space, and seamless flow between each department, ensuring a user-friendly and accessible environment for patients and staff.
Placemaking: delivering services at the community’s heart
Grove View embodies the concept of placemaking, bringing health and care services directly to the heart of the community. The facility ensures convenient access for local residents, promoting a sense of familiarity and comfort. The integration of multiple services not only improves convenience, but also facilitates collaboration and coordination among health and care providers, leading to a more holistic and patient-centered approach to care. Additionally, the facility incorporates outdoor spaces, gardens, and recreational areas, to promote physical activity, social prescribing, relaxation, and overall wellbeing.
Grove View’s primary focus is on enhancing the patient experience. The hub incorporates the latest advancements in healthcare design to create an environment that is both welcoming and functional.
Patient-centric features such as comfortable waiting areas, soothing colours, and natural lighting, promote a sense of calm and wellbeing. The spacious layout ensures privacy and ease of movement for patients, while accessibility is prioritised through the integration of lifts, and user-friendly wayfinding
The wellbeing principles of the end-users were factored into the design of the health hub, and the key features of this included:
Natural light to all occupied rooms, short journey times to lifts and stairs from all areas of the building, and all rooms are of a regular shape and size for ergonomic and multiple service delivery
Out-of-hours activities concentrated on the ground floor to maximise security and avoid lone working on upper levels.
Provision for vista and outlook onto green spaces to enhance the therapeutic environment characteristics for the users.
Innovative solutions: The standardised Cura model
Grove View’s adoption of Willmott Dixon’s innovative standardised Cura model stands at the forefront of healthcare transformation. The model emphasises the integration of care services, enabling a personalised and holistic approach to patient care. The configuration of the hub provides a standardised grid optimised for the clinical room sizes, and standardised components which improved quality and the speed of delivery. Its flexible design and construction solution provides endusers with the option for future expansion, with multi-use rooms and design principles that allow spaces to be repurposed as service needs change.
The MMC system-based design approach enabled the project to deliver a combined MMC value of 78% with high levels of pre-manufactured value (PMV), equating to over 60% of the overall build. Key elements contributing to the PMV fall into a range of MMC categories, and include – for example – the pre-cast concrete lift shafts, pre-cast concrete staircases and concrete floor planks, and pre-manufactured MEP systems. Limiting the number of variations in the repeatable components also enables the customer to realise operational efficiencies in the maintenance of the hub. There are multiple additional prefabricated elements; these include staircases, external linking and escape walkways, doorsets, clinical room WHB / WC IPS units, reception desks and staff bases, lighting, wiring, and control systems, roof-mounted ductwork, air-handling units, and all switchgear and distribution boards.
Early involvement and implementing standardised features
The early involvement allowed Willmott Dixon to work with Central Bedfordshire Council, the ICP, GPs, and local providers of NHS services, to develop this standardised service model and schedule of accommodation. They held several workshops with key stakeholders to understand their needs and tailor the Cura offering to suit this.
The project team’s commitment to sustainability is exemplified through Grove View. The hub is designed to minimise its carbon footprint by implementing energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy sources, and eco-friendly low embodied carbon materials. Green spaces and biodiversity enhancements contribute to a healthy environment, promoting wellbeing for patients and staff alike
Sustainable features include:
1. Building fabric performance: Grove View’s fabric performance goes well beyond Part L regulations, with enhanced U-values and a robust airtightness performance of 1.89 m3 /hr/m2 , ensuring superior energy efficiency with a low Energy Use Intensity (EUI).
2. Energy monitoring: Grove View utilises energy monitoring as part of its commitment to sustainable operation. The building is equipped with sub-metering systems placed strategically throughout the facility to monitor departmental usage and sub-divide tenant costs. These systems are integrated with a central Building Management System (BMS) that logs energy usage. The collected data is benchmarked against design stage expected usage and analysed for optimising energy consumption. Seasonal commissioning further assesses the data, and adjusts building systems accordingly to align with climate and seasonal changes. Additionally, an independent Post Occupancy Evaluation is scheduled one year after occupancy to evaluate the building’s performance comprehensively, and provide recommendations for further energy improvements.
3. MEP system design: The design of Grove View’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems incorporates various energy-saving features, and the building relies entirely on electrical services, eliminating the need for fossil fuels. Air source heat pumps are used for heating, electric boilers, and hot water storage for hot water generation, and photovoltaic systems for renewable energy generation, reducing overall energy consumption and environmental impact. Each wing is served by a dedicated air-handling unit, which allows for ease of future alteration while minimising disruption to other departments.
Grove View, with its emphasis on early engagement, placemaking, and the innovative standardised Cura model, represents a ground-breaking approach to integrated health and care delivery
By actively involving stakeholders, delivering services within the heart of the community, and implementing a patientcentred model of care, Grove View is poised to transform the local healthcare landscape. As patients, service-users, and healthcare providers benefit from improved access, personalised care, and enhanced wellbeing, Grove View sets a new standard for health and care facilities that prioritises community engagement, innovation, and comprehensive care delivery.
Anastasia Chrysafi
Anastasia Chrysafi has specialised in the healthcare sector for over 20 years, including working in advisory roles to the NHS and the private sector across the full range of health and care provision. Starting her career as an NHS advisor for the selection of a private sector LIFT partner to deliver a range of primary and community care buildings, she has more recently led the development of Cura, Willmott Dixon’s pre-designed integrated health and care hub solution. She currently leads Willmott Dixon in the CCS/NHS ProCure23 Framework, supporting the NHS in achieving improved levels of efficiency and performance in the delivery of sustainable healthcare buildings