Aluminium window systems from Kawneer which were especially fabricated for the mental health sector, were used in the construction of the new 72-bed Foss Park Hospital on a 6.5-acre site in York for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Foundation Trust.
All patient accommodation is provided on the ground floor, is secure by design, and offers access to safe, outdoor space in gardens and landscaped courtyards.
Approved Kawneer installer Polar NE specified two types of Kawneer’s standard windows and two types it fabricated specifically for the mental health sector as well as Kawneer’s AA100 zone-drained curtain wall to the main entrance.
Polar’s Tyne Secure windows were used in the bedrooms, assisted bedrooms, observation areas and extra care areas, while its Wansbeck Secure windows were used in corridors, female lounges, dining room, small therapy and wet therapy areas, the quiet lounge, sensory areas, ward offices, interview rooms, child visiting areas, prayer and reflection rooms, and ADL (Activities of Daily Living) kitchen.
In addition, Kawneer’s standard AA541 top-hung casement windows were used in corridors, multi-faith room, consultants rooms, the print room, offices, pharmacy, ward manager’s office, the quiet therapy room, laundry, EFM (Estate and Facilities Management) staff rest room, beverage bay, medical student hot desk, and living and movement area.
Angela Rossi of P+HS Architects said: “We chose aluminium windows for their strength and flexibility in design, and the life cycle benefits to the client. Kawneer was proposed by the window manufacturer Polar and we were comfortable with this as they are a long-standing manufacturer of commercial aluminium fenestration products.

“The Kawneer systems allowed us to maximise natural light to patient rooms and corridors, providing views to the garden spaces which were a key feature of the design. It was important to provide safe and secure windows whilst maintaining a pleasing aesthetic appearance and providing service users with control of ventilation in their private spaces.”
Polar NE had a team of up to eight operatives on the site of the former Biorad Micro measurements on Haxby Road. The contract lasted almost 18 months, for main contractor Wates Construction.
Foss Park’s construction was procured through YORbuild, a consortium of frameworks designed to create collaborative working to maximise the social value and inclusion of public sector building works.
Naomi Lonergan, TEWV’s director of operations for North Yorkshire and York, said: “Foss Park provides access to high-quality mental health care and offers cutting-edge facilities that support our service user, families and carers with their care needs.”

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