One of the West Midlands’ fastest growing architects has celebrated a ‘healthcare’ milestone in style after being named on The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust’s Approved List for the first time.
Johnson Design Partnership (JDP), which employs nine people at its Station Lane office in Bridgnorth, has successfully passed all the stringent guidelines and working standards to be selected for projects that could range from medical centre refurbishments and feasibility studies, to transforming old hospital spaces and managing new developments.
The latest announcement comes just a few weeks after the practice delivered its 80th project in healthcare – an early-stage concept design for a Therapies Rehabilitation Centre at a London hospital.
Due to spatial restrictions, the building will be above an existing car park, but with some clever design features and a link bridge from the neighbouring facility, JDP has been able to create a carbon neutral development that is accessible to all and incorporates inside and outside rehabilitation.
Matt Spinks, Director at Johnson Design Partnership, commented: “Our work in the medical sector has grown significantly over the last three years and now accounts for 25% of our annual fees.
“A lot of our projects have been outside of the Midlands, so it’s great to be awarded approval for The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which makes it easier for us to be selected on its future developments.”
He continued: “Clever design can improve the way services are delivered to patients and can play a key role in improving the experience, ensuring multiple services are held in one place and, recently, exploring how the NHS can generate revenue by opening up part of the entrances/spaces to a retail offer/food hall.
“We’ve been doing this all over the country and now we can start delivering all of these improvements on our doorstep.”
Johnson Design Partnership offers a complete project management service from feasibility work and planning to detailed design, project monitoring and contract administration.
It has recently invested in the latest 3D design software and management systems to ensure swift turnaround on initial quotes and that projects are delivered on time and to budget.
In addition to The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust’s approved supplier list, JDP is also registered on the NHS London Procurement Partnership Dynamic Purchasing System, Crown Supplier Dynamic Purchasing System, Black Country In-Tend, Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Joint E-Tendering System and Crown Commercial Services.
Vic Johnson, Founder of Johnson Design Partnership, went on to add: “The UK’s ageing population, medical innovations and emerging pandemics all bring new challenges to the healthcare sector.
“Given the complexities, it would be easy to forget the human aspect, and this is where we come in. By bringing a greater design awareness to medical challenges, we can help hospitals, doctor surgeries and medical centres to deliver better patient experiences, intuitive routes and ‘green lungs’ to support the sustainability drive.”
He concluded: “We have a proven track record working with the NHS and are technically proficient in all the required standards and documentation. Importantly, we bring empathy in our design.”
