FEATURE ARTICLES

Raami Architects’ Kaisa-Liisa Raiskinmäki and Natalia Batrakova discuss the design of two high intensity intensive care units (HICUs) at Finnish hospitals in different parts of the country. They explain how, despite following the same principles of stepped care and gradual transition to more secure spaces, the units were designed differently, and how, with no national standards regulating psychiatric hospital planning, the final design solutions were developed with patients.

Matthew Wright, an associate at Gilling Dod Architects, discusses current trends in the construction of mental healthcare facilities in the light of recent demands in building legislation such as the Building Safety Act, with a particular focus on the advantages of building with a concrete frame and non-load-bearing blockwork. He cites the practice’s architectural and design work at Edward Street Hospital in West Bromwich as a good example of what can be achieved.

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust has transformed its Health-Based Places of Safety (HBPoS), revamping its ‘S136 suites’ across three hospitals in the North West of England. Senior Associate partner, David Simmons, Associate, James Halsall, and Partner and Project manager, Nick Wiley, of architectural, design, and masterplanning practice, FWP, which led the project – providing architectural and interior design, project management, and principal designer services, report.

The growing demand for mental health services across the UK is driving an evolution in facility design. Moving away from outdated, security-focused models that can inadvertently hinder recovery and dignity, a new era is emerging – that prioritises therapeutic environments. Tim Flett, director of Hygenius, explores the key considerations and innovative approaches shaping the future of furniture, fixtures, and equipment, in mental healthcare spaces.

Almost a decade after its opening, Arcadis revisited the award-winning Woodland View mental health facility to assess how design decisions have influenced recovery, staff wellbeing and sustainability. Here, Karen Flatt, associate principal and mental health lead at Arcadis Architecture & Urbanism, reflects on the lessons learned, and how post occupancy evaluation (POE) can shape the next generation of therapeutic environments.

A new CAMHS PICU designed by Medical Architecture for Dorset HealthCare – located in a woodland setting at the Trust’s Alumhurst Road site in Bournemouth, won the practice the Project of the Year – Future Design UK Award at June’s Design in Mental Health 2025 event in Manchester. In a session on the second day, The Network’s founding editor, Jonathan Baillie, discussed with Yvonne Ophaus, an Associate at Medical Architecture, what made it a winner.

In the second of three interviews conducted by The Network’s founding editor, Jonathan Baillie, spoke with Matthew Speight, company director and landscape architect at Iteriad, on the afternoon of Day Two of the DiMH 2025 conference in Manchester, about the factors that won the consultancy the Outside Space of the Year Award.

Almost 300 guests attended a special ceremony held in The Gallery at Manchester Central on the evening of the first day of June’s Design in Mental Health 2025 event to witness the presentation to the winners of DiMH awards for 2025, as well as a number of Highly Commendeds. The awards recognised excellence in everything from the design of new buildings to the best outside space, plus innovative and imaginative product design, as The Network’s editor, Jonathan Baillie, reports.

Jason Brown, director of Design & Development at manufacturer of ‘design-led’ contract furniture, Knightsbridge Furniture, considers some of the priorities and goals when designing and producing furniture for mental healthcare settings – including a robust construction, ease of cleaning and stringent hygiene control, good material and colour choice, and user safety.

‘We live in a world where light dictates much of our biological function, so the ability to harness its power for human benefit is an extraordinary advancement,’ says director of Lighting at Light Years Ahead, Lee McCarthy. As he explains here, the lighting company works in partnership with Versalux – an Australian lighting business that has developed what is described as ‘cutting-edge’ Melagen technology, which ‘fine-tunes’ how light interacts with our circadian rhythms.

The Brook is a new-build inpatient facility at Langdon Hospital, Dawlish, in Devon, for adults with a learning disability and/or autism. Highly Commended in the ‘Project of the Year – Future Design’ category at the 2024 DiMH Awards, it is due to become operational this summer. Anita White, Associate Architect at Grainge Architects, says the building is designed to provide a therapeutic, comforting, uplifting environment for recovery for people with complex sensory needs.

At June’s Design in Mental Health 2025 conference, Yvonne Jewkes, Professor of Criminology at the University of Bath, and an expert on prison design, will speak on ‘Trauma-Informed Design – An Aid to Recovery or Mere Window Dressing?’ In this article, ‘with the prison system in crisis’, she discusses her new book, and some of her experience giving input to prison designers on creating more humane custodial settings, with The Network’s editor, Jonathan Baillie.

Lynn Lindley, Associate Principal and senior Interior designer at Arcadis, with input from other members of the Silverwood design team at the firm, explains how extensive engagement with staff, service-users, and the local community, shaped the design of the new 64-bedded inpatient unit in Chertsey in Surrey, where a variety of imaginative and colourful art is a standout feature.

The Design in Mental Health Network’s flagship annual event, Design in Mental Health 2025, returns to Manchester in June. Co-organised by Step Exhibitions, this unique event connects those responsible for designing, building, maintaining, and operating, mental healthcare environments with the latest information, ideas, and solutions, for safe and cost-effective delivery.

Richard Barton, who enjoyed an interesting career in the military and the police force, but later realised he had neglected his physical and mental health, recounts his ‘mixed’ experience of inpatient mental healthcare. This drove a desire to help others suffering from mental ill health. He will speak at next month’s DiMH 2025 conference on ‘what it is actually like to be an Expert by Experience’, and discuss getting the best from this ‘amazing resource’.

The Design in Mental Health Network (DiMHN) has announced the appointment of Charlotte Burrows as its new CEO. She officially took up the role on 1 April. The Network reports.

Stuart Smith, Commercial director at Zehnder Group UK, takes a detailed look at some of the key steps to optimise indoor air quality in mental healthcare settings, and the positive impact and benefits that getting this right this can have for all users.

Kabir Sangha, UK and Ireland Sales manager for Biometrics at CDVI, discusses the advantages and in-use benefits of biometric access control systems in keeping all users of mental healthcare facilities safe, ensuring security and protecting property, and preventing access to all but authorised users. ‘Once reserved for futuristic Hollywood blockbusters’, he says biometric solutions are now ‘widespread and affordable’, and have the potential ‘to make a meaningful difference’ to people living and working in such settings.

HLM Architects’ Neil Orpwood reflects on insights from the DiMH 2024 Conference, and a session exploring the balance between local and specialist services.

Dr Shelley James, a lighting design consultant, TEDx and keynote speaker, author, and elected member of the WELL Light Advisory Team, discusses the significant positive impact that today’s advanced lighting technologies can have both on patient and service-user recovery, state of mind, and mood, and staff’s wellbeing and ability to deliver the optimal and most efficient care, no matter where the healthcare setting