Social impacts

In terms of the social impacts of renovating the hospital they are extensive however I will mention a
few. The main social need for the project was for the local residents as the hospital was very old and
difficult to navigate therefore an expansion was needed. The stakeholders involved include the client
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS (National Health Service) Trust, the contractor and developer
Skanska and the financiers which is the Private Finance Initiative.

1. The main issue we are considering for the renovation is to minimise the disturbance to the
old building as there will be patients and workers using the hospital. There might be a lot of
noise. This will be an issue for patients in critical care or in an ICU as it might lead to a
deterioration of their health.
2. During the renovation hospital use will be limited if not completely unusable. This will cause
problems for patients as well as the local public who would’ve visited the hospital
previously. Furthermore, its inconvenient for those who might have difficulties accessing
other hospitals due to not being able to travel far distances.
3. The roads around and leading to the hospital will be busier than usual. This will cause major
disruptions and inconvenience to drivers. Furthermore, delivery trucks to the construction
site may park around these roads causing traffic to become even more busy and it increases
the likelihood of collisions making roads less safe.
4. The construction process will generate heavy constant noise pollution to surrounding areas
leading to complaints. There will also be dust pollution from the construction site.
5. There will be hazards during the renovation so patients and workers must be informed of
any changes otherwise there are massive health risks. The hospital will be visited by many
people daily and for them it’s a huge inconvenience to find out they cannot access certain
areas due to renovation therefore its important to minimise the areas which will not be
used.

BREEAM Assessment criteria

Management

One of the positive elements was that they had consulted with the local public who had voiced their
views about the difficulty of visibility of the entrance to the hospital and Skanska understood this
and altered the orientation of the entrance to make it more visible. They made sure that the building
was geared towards future occupants. They also consulted local preservation and wildlife groups
before installing the heating system to make an informed decision about which period is best to
install it. Moreover, they provided notices to stakeholders to keep them informed during the
construction process.

Furthermore, they visited local schools and raised awareness about the construction site and its
dangers to prevent children near the construction site. They were also good in that they taught the
children in schools according to their knowledge by showing them films which would provide
information in a manner that is easier to digest for pupils. High score for this as they made sure to
reach every stakeholder which will be affected by this redevelopment.

Energy

In terms of heating and cooling they installed a lake-source heat pump cooling and heating system
and provided information about how much energy this device provides. They also mention that it is
the largest geothermal lake loop in Europe and provide a guarantee that it will support the heating
system however they add the specific detail of ‘when the capacity is available.’ This could be an issue
as we do not know how often the capacity will be available as less energy could be produced in some
periods compared to others. We do not know whether this will cause a failure in the system or not.
This is why I could not give full marks for commissioning and handover.

They mention that they provided facilities for occupants to recycle items and placed recycling
storages. However, they do not speak enough about construction and demolition waste.

As mentioned previously they designed the building with the intent of maximising occupant
satisfaction and in doing this they ensured to maximise natural light and use high standards of
ventilation. We do not know much about the energy demand or consumption therefore this needs
to be provided to guarantee that the building will be always useable according to health needs. This
is important information for occupants.

Transport

In terms of transport, they planned their deliveries and made a specific construction entrance at the
back of the site which reduced traffic in the area. This is something which is highly rewardable in
these criteria as often there is traffic congestion which is a major inconvenience for all road users in
the area. In particular, they made public transport information points to advise people on the 19 bus
routes passing the hospital as well as informing staff that they can apply for interest free bus season
tickets. 100 sheltered bicycle spaces were also provided along with staff shower and changing
facilities. This ensures less traffic congestion as workers of the site and hospital can get there by
different routes and modes of transport. As well as reducing congestion it also reduces the likelihood
of collision as roads will be freer and visibility of traffic ahead will be clearer.

Health

In terms of health, they made sure to train all their personnel during the induction as well as sending
many to specific management training in health and safety to better manage the site. They also
considered the health of the occupants of the building as they designed it to maximise the
penetration of natural light into the building and ensured a scenic view to maximise satisfaction. In
addition to this, they ensured the ventilation within the building exceeded the NHS ventilation
standards and where possible maximised the fresh air ventilation into the building. They also
incorporated partition blinds to allow seclusion and soundproofing. This delivers a comfortable
thermal environment for occupants and drives improvement in the building. Overall, this is very
positive and highly effective. This is why I gave high credits for health and wellbeing. An
improvement they could have made was to give information about any gases emitted during the
construction which might affect occupant health.

Occupant satisfaction is quite high as they designed the building to be easily navigable and
functional. This is a huge improvement compared to the old building and will increase the
effectiveness and efficiency of patients being treated as less time will be wasted on finding rooms.

Ecological value

They consulted with local preservation and wildlife groups to make informed decisions Scenic views
of the countryside were included in the design as well as gardens created on grounds. This provides
a more natural and positive feeling for occupants raising the ecological value for local wildlife who
otherwise may have had to relocate entirely. They managed to treat water before returning it to the
reservoir. This will increase local satisfaction as it is the home of everyone who lives there while for
the workers it may not be therefore it will improve their opinions about sustainable design.
Therefore, I gave a high mark for this. If more information was provided, I would award full credits.

Water

They installed a temporary water treatment plant to manage run-off from the site which was
contained in a lagoon before being discharged into the reservoir. Water consumption was measured
but we do not know the figures. However, they incorporated low flow taps and low flush toilets to
reduce water being wasted. Rainwater was also harvested for various things as well as using plants
which require little water. There is no information about sensors to detect leaks or other water
related issues. If there are none this will cause the hospitable to possibly be unusable and cause
problems for all occupants and locals. This reduces the credits given as there is no information about
its monitoring. This poses a large risk for occupants therefore I cannot award a high mark.

Materials

No information provided. Materials used for insultation is important for social impact as it gives
information on how warm the building will be and how cold and for how long therefore it affects the
occupants’ satisfaction during their time as well as possibly raising health concerns.

Pollution

Natural light was maximised, and barriers were used for soundproofing. Water pollution was

reduced. High score for this reason as it was something considered to a high standard within the
redevelopment.

Credit scores

Note: where I have given 0 marks or very low marks the reason is due to no/lack of information
given.