This new build construction was undertaken by Killowen Contracts Ltd, with the company completing the £5.10million, 50,000sqft project over a 15- month contract, providing ‘fit for purpose’ accommodation for people living with a learning disability, physical disability, acquired brain injury, as well as patients discharged from hospital suffering from dementia.

The company has significant expertise in the construction of care homes in addition to its ongoing experience and contracts throughout the health sector.

This knowledge came to the fore on this scheme, as Maurice McGivern, Director, explained.
“We realised from the outset, that the programme was of primary importance to the client. Therefore, we worked in collaboration with all stakeholders, including the employer and design team to ensure completion on time.

“Following a review of the tender and our site visit, it was apparent that the ground conditions were of concern. However, with our experience we agreed with the client to commence work ahead of schedule in April 2016, facilitating all substructure works during the summer months and favourable weather conditions. This mitigated any potential risk to the programme from poor ground conditions and excavation work, allowing construction of the lower ground floor retaining wall.”

Killowen’s understanding of the client’s requirements continued throughout the project, built on the same strong and positive foundations. Indeed, the co-operation of all parties in assisting such a move proved decisive in ensuring completion on time and also prevented any further delays during the construction period.

It was Killowen Contract’s high standard of build, programming and budgetary awareness which gained them a place within the tender process for Maryland’s, with the company utilising its experience from previous projects in the Newry & Mourne area.

The building is of an exemplar model. It was designed in the ‘Irish Clachan Style’ due to its rural location, incorporating natural stone, round barn roof with differing roof pitches and levels, as well as smooth and coarse rendering over a collection of assorted built structures.
The internal layout was designed for future potential needs of the users, as bedrooms are up to 72% larger and en suites are 75% larger than the minimum standard set out by the RQIA guidelines.

In addition, outdoor activities are encouraged through the construction of orchards, bee banks and landscaped areas which meet the needs of the end service user.

The interior fit-out of the building involved a healthcare colourist working specifically with dementia, learning disability and physical disability experts to provide a homely, functional environment with excellent wayfinding techniques. This was essential within a building of this size.

Maurice added, “There were in excess of 200 construction operatives from differing trades on site over the course of the project, therefore management of the contract in line with our integrated management system was vital. We regard such procedures of paramount importance in addressing issues relating to health and safety; environment and quality. This enabled us to complete the project with zero incidents. We managed all team members to ensure the highest build quality in line with updated building regulations. This was demonstrated by our airtightness result of 2.41, which is very positive for such a large scheme, and a defect-free handover.”

Killowen Contracts Ltd also considered sustainability throughout the build, reduced waste on site and recycled, where possible, working with local Longstone School to supply timber and materials for use in Technology & Design classes. In turn, the school manufactured timber bench seating from waste pallets.

Maryland’s Healthcare Centre is a purpose-built facility which fits seamlessly into the surrounding environment. The exceptional working relationship between all parties ensured a build of the highest quality within the time and budget constraints of the client.

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