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- Healthcare

The Devereux Centre: The new standard for primary healthcare

— CLIENT
New Docs Ltd

— SECTOR
Healthcare

— SERVICES
Architecture

— VALUE
£5.5m

— LEAD CONTACTS
Chris Thornton

Challenge

Faced with space shortages and keen to improve standards, three GP practices in Tewkesbury appointed us to design an entirely new “super-surgery”. The main challenge was meeting the different needs of the three practices under one roof.

The site itself presented hurdles to overcome – not least the fact that Tewkesbury is on a flood plain. However, we could see great potential in the location, and were keen to use the site’s natural advantages to put wellbeing front and centre for patients, staff, and visitors.

Approach + Solution

Named after Dr Devereux – who helped set up the first Tewkesbury Rural Hospital in 1865 – the Devereux Centre is a spacious, welcoming building. We took time to consult with each practice to understand their needs and translated these into a care centre that gives GPs twice as much space as their former surgeries. Specialist medical practitioners can let consulting rooms in the same building, and there are meeting and conference rooms for local businesses to rent.

The flood plain dictated the site, which is on higher ground. However, this allowed us to design the staff rooms with sweeping views towards Tewkesbury Abbey, and we created a central courtyard which brings natural light deep into the interior. The final building is greater than the sum of its parts, and has transformed primary care for the local residents.

“The Devereux Centre is a modern build with a simple and clean feel to it… It has remarkably good lighting and visitors regularly comment on how lovely and professional looking the facilities are.”

– LAUREN BATH, BUSINESS MANAGER, NEW DOCS LTD