PHd has been appointed to develop a multi-phased plan for the site-wide redevelopment of Princess of Wales Hospital in Ely, Cambridgeshire. The hospital, originally developed as an RAF facility in the 1940s, retains much of the original building. The approved master plan consists of several phased projects, including a new hospital to replace parts of the existing building, a community diagnostics centre within the retained section of the estate, and a new multi-storey car park.
The first two phases of the project have progressed, with the completion of the £11m diagnostics centre and a new multi-storey car park, facilitating the rest of the project to commence.
In order for the masterplan design to be viable its sequencing and phasing needed to allow for all hospital services to be kept live for the duration of the construction work. The early construction of the multi-storey car park was key to this resolution. This means that existing surface car parking can be freed up to allow for the new building to be sited and made operational, prior to the demolition of the existing building.
Working within a live hospital environment is always challenging; the new CDC was no exception in that it is sited directly beneath the hospital’s day surgery theatres, which had to be kept live during the works. This was overcome by maintaining good communication and carrying out noisy works outside of the operating hours of day surgery.
