£67M HEALTH HUB TO BE CARBON NEUTRAL
ARCHITECTS have revealed the details of what will be Scotland’s first working net zero carbon health and social care facility.
Councillors approved plans for the new £67 million North East Hub in Parkhead in September and now designers have spoken of how the building will be electric-only and powered only by renewable energy sources.
A community asset, the building will host three GP practices and clinical and social care teams, as well as the relocated Parkhead Library and community spaces, including a café.
The project design team has undertaken a comprehensive study to identify the most appropriate technologies to be adopted and the necessary heating and ventilation requirements of the building itself.
Gordon Gibb, director at Glasgow-based Hoskin Architects, said: “We are pleased to be the architects designing what will be Scotland’s first in operation net zero carbon health and social care facility.
“From the start of the project the aim was for a very efficient building fabric design with high levels of insulation and low air permeability to reduce heating and cooling requirements.
“The aim was to have a building that is fossil fuel-free.
“This electric-only approach, via air source heat pumps, a thermal store for heating and photo-voltaic panels, allows the building to take advantage of the country’s electrical grid move to carbon-neutral status.
“These passive and active sustainability measures will provide a building that is bright, welcoming and comfortable to be in.
“The design is adaptable and can provide a wealth of changing health and community facilities for the people of the East End of Glasgow for many years to come.”
It is hoped that the new hub will be open to the public in 2024.
Once complete, it will be home to three GP practices and a pharmacy, as well as specialist services to support children, adult community care groups, older people, mental health, addictions, criminal justice and homelessness services as well as health improvement activity – all delivered by a range of public and third sector organisations.
Glasgow City Council and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde hope the new hub will improve access to services and better integrate health and social work teams and services and the voluntary and charity sectors.
Andrew Baillie, assistant head of capital planning at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “As well as creating health and care facilities that are good for patients and our staff, we need to be looking at how we can do everything possible to increase sustainability and reduce our carbon footprint.
“For the North East Hub, the ultimate solution will be installing an air-source heat pump and using photo voltaic panels.
“By selecting an air source heat pump, we have been able to remove any requirement for natural gas in the building, providing a significant portion of the building’s energy from on-site renewables and reducing the amount of imported energy required.
“In addition, the facility essentially relies upon openable windows in the summer to maximise natural ventilation and closing the windows in the winter to retain as much heat as possible and limit the amount of energy needed to reach appropriate thermal comfort levels.”