Breaking the mould in hospital design, the Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, perfectly combines the properties of form, function, hygiene and clinical cleanliness thanks in part to the generous use of HI-MACS® solid surface material for its friendly reception area. Created by award winning TODD Architects with Hall Black Douglas, and fabricated by McLaughlin and Harvey Specialist Joinery, this new-build public space is the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland. Positioned on a Greenfield site on the outskirts of Omagh, the building was designed in response to recent healthcare reports and future initiatives. The brief for the architects included creating a ‘natural environment for healing’ and the hospital is specifically designed to offer short-term services to help tackle waiting lists while bringing together acute and primary services under one roof.
HI-MACS® in Pebble Pearl and Arctic Granite was the ideal choice for the reception area’s curvaceous desks. Ultra hygienic, this seamless, solid surface material is non-porous with no grooves or joins to harbour dirt, germs or bacteria, making it perfectly suited to a public area. It’s so easy to clean with just a damp cloth and is easily repairable should any scratches appear over time. As it can be thermoformed, it can also be used to create curves within furniture as these stylish reception desks demonstrate.
A palette of brick, glass and aluminium cladding are key architectural features of the building’s material structure, and were designed to blend seamlessly into the countryside landscape that surrounds it. The use of HI-MACS® creates a warm welcome within what could otherwise feel cool and clinical. The hospital itself is made up of a series of two and three-storey connected pavilions, which enclose a number of peaceful, relaxing courtyard gardens. The interlinked spaces house different hospital departments with all areas accessible from either a glazed atrium main entrance or an Urgent Care ambulance entrance. Efficient and ordered, the entire building is easily navigated by patients, visitors and staff alike, with a natural, ergonomic flow throughout. Breakout areas meanwhile are designed to promote inclusiveness with informal meeting spaces as well as social spots for everyone to relax.
“This was a very interesting project for us,” says Andrew Murray, Director of TODD Architects, “in that it represents a refreshed approach to the traditional delivery of healthcare services. This new complex is distinctively designed as an environment for healing by creating a connection between the patient and the outside.”
About TODD Architects
TODD Architects are an award-winning, client focused practice delivering high quality design solutions, which enhance the built environment and the lives of users.
The practice was established in 1976 and has grown today to a team base of over 70 people, working internationally across a wide spectrum of sectors.
TODD Architects are uniquely the only AJ100 practice with studios in Belfast, London & Dublin.
About HI-MACS®
HI-MACS® is the ultimate versatile, flexible material perfect for residential and commercial projects. It can be thermoformed and moulded into any shape and is widely used for interior and architectural applications. Made from a mix of acrylic, minerals and natural pigments, it creates a smooth, non-porous and visually seamless surface that meets the highest standards for quality, aesthetics, fabrication, function and hygiene. It’s also extremely easy to clean and maintain with a quick wipe down with a damp cloth.
PROJECT INFORMATION
Project name: Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Architect: Andrew Murray, TODD Architects, www.toddarch.co.uk
Contractor: McLaughlin and Harvey Specialist Joinery; www.mclh.co.uk
Structural Engineer, Civil Engineer, Principal Designer: Doran Consulting Limited
Material: HI-MACS® Pebble Pearl and Arctic Granite, www.himacs.eu
Photos: © Chris Hill Photography, www.scenicireland.com/christopher_hill_photographic
HI-MACS® elements: Reception area
HI-MACS® is a solid surface material that can be moulded into any shape. It is widely used for architectural and interior applications, such as sculptural and high performance wall-cladding or kitchen, bathroom and furniture surfaces, in commercial, residential and public space projects. It is composed of minerals, acrylic and natural pigments that come together to provide a smooth, non-porous and visually seamless surface which meets the highest standards for quality, aesthetics, fabrication, functionality and hygiene – offering manifold advantages over conventional materials.
HI-MACS® provides limitless possibilities for surfacing solutions and inspires creative minds from all over the world. Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, Rafael Moneo, Karim Rashid, Marcel Wanders and David Chipperfield, among others, have completed fabulous projects using HI-MACS®.
At the forefront of innovation as always, LG Hausys recently introduced two new products. First HI-MACS Structura®, a 3D textured panel material that takes solid surface opportunities to a new level. And now HI-MACS® Ultra-Thermoforming, an innovative formula that pushes the boundaries of solid surface shaping to a whole new level, with 30% more thermoplastic capabilities – the biggest innovation for the Solid Surface history since its inception in 1967.
LG Hausys’ HI-MACS® uses a simple heating process to give three-dimensional thermoplastic forming capabilities, allows visually seamless designs, offers a virtually limitless range of colours and – for some shades – exhibits a special translucency when exposed to light. Although HI-MACS® is almost as robust as stone, it can be worked in a similar way as wood: it can be sawn, routed, drilled or sanded.
HI-MACS® is manufactured using a new generation technology, the thermal cure. The temperature reached during the manufacturing process sets HI-MACS® apart from other solid surfaces and creates a denser, even more homogeneous, sturdy, durable surface – with a better resistance and superior thermoforming performance.
HI-MACS® does not absorb humidity, is highly resistant to stains, and is easy to clean, maintain and repair.
Countless internationally recognized certificates attest to the quality of HI-MACS® in terms of ecological commitment, hygiene and fire resistance – being the first Solid Surface in the market to receive the official European Technical Approval (ETA) for façades – for Alpine White S728 colour.
HI-MACS® offers the longest warranty on the solid surface market with a 15-year warranty for products fabricated by a Quality Club Member.
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