The Balfour, Orkney Transforming healthcare in the Orkney Islands PROJECT DETAILS Robertson delivered NHS Orkney’s new £65 million hospital and healthcare facility, helping to transform the way healthcare services are delivered in the islands. The hospital was offically opened on 25 May 2021 by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. A design to stimulate the local area NHS Orkney issued a very specific, bespoke brief that required a rural general hospital with particular attention to be paid to the unique needs of Orcadians. Working with Keppie, the hospital was designed to put people first and make a positive contribution to the environment, local community and economy. It is predicated on 'place-making' to give the whole building a depth and level of design missing in many hospitals. This rural general hospital has a large number of small departments and areas, several of which need distinct identities. An interrelated series of ‘streets’ and spaces are situated along patterns of established movement, arranged around a single central hub. From this public space, wayfinding is easy and intuitive, and the space is visually connected with external courtyards to further remove the traditional institutional associations. The different spaces and activities come together effectively, delivering efficient clinical adjacencies that were required. The design is a strong, contemporary building that is rooted in the culture and context of Orkney in general, but Kirkwall in particular. Robertson Specialist Division carried out all external render, providing a brilliant white water- and dirt-resistant finish that is suited to the location Innovating to address the remote location Delivering a major healthcare project in Orkney presents a unique set of challenges. To solve these, we considered the remoteness of the island, supply chain logistics, local landscape, and challenging climatic conditions, as well as specific archaeological and environmental considerations. For example, procuring and shipping construction materials to the island and storing on site well in advance of programme requirements reduced the vulnerability of the project to extreme weather conditions. Structural steelwork was fabricated off-site wherever possible to enable speedy completion of the building structure. The envelope of the building was designed to make best use of trades available on the islands and to achieve an early wind and watertight position, thus allowing internal trades to progress despite inclement weather. The materials and built form of the building and surrounding landscape, are simple, robust, easily sourced and maintained; all reflecting Orkney's heritage and ecology. Building with and for local people Supply chain procurement maximised the use of local labour, services and materials in every aspect of the construction. During construction, up to 50 people from the Orkney islands formed part of the workforce, providing significant revenue into Scotland and the local area. Sub-contract packages were split into manageable sizes to suit the size of the island supply chain. This approach mitigates some of the problems faced on large construction projects in remote locations, both benefiting the project programme itself as well as the local community in which we were working. A long term relationship to maintain the hospital The operation of the hospital and healthcare facilities was continuously considered throughout the design process. Our maintenance services meet the changing needs of patients, keep abreast of changes in technology and adjust the delivery to provide what is required. They comprise planned preventative maintenance, reactive maintenance and the lifecycle replacement works as assets come to the end of their useful life. The hospital services are overseen by a Contract Manager who is supported by an in-situ team of Hard FM maintenance operatives to ensure the spaces are maintained professionally and to a high-quality standard. We have also integrated into the community by providing local employment, training, mentoring and work experience, supporting the community for the next 25 years. Project team Investment: Robertson Capital Projects, The Scottish Futures Trust, Architect: Keppie Principal contractor: Robertson Structural engineer: AECOM Building services engineer: Tuv Sud Health planning: Capita ICT: Boston Networks Hard FM & lifecycle maintenance: Robertson Facilities Management The Balfour, NHS Orkney The Balfour, NHS Orkney - courtyard 12345678910 Related projects The Macallan distillery View Project Stirling Health & Care Village View Project Matthew Hay Building, NHS Gram... View Project Related news Robertson to deliver £64m project for N... 30th March 2017 We have reached Financial Close with NHS Orkney to deliver a major investment in healthcare services in Kirkwall, Orkney. View News Article NHS Orkney: 'Best Healthcare Project' Ca... 11th May 2018 NHS Orkney's The Balfour won silver in 'Best Healthcare Project' category. View News Article Topping out for NHS Orkney hospital 28th November 2017 A ceremony marking a major milestone for NHS Orkney’s new flagship hospital and healthcare facility has taken place today. View News Article This site uses cookies to make sure you get the best experience. By using the site, you agree to our use of cookies. Cookie policy. Ok, I agree What we do Invest Develop Construct Maintain Site info Accessibility Anti-slavery statement Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Health and safety Taxation strategy Terms and conditions Get social with us twitter youtube instagram linkedin © Robertson Group 2021.