At Guy’s Hospital in London, early engagement allowed us to demonstrate value, safety, speed and efficiency benefits for a new orthopaedic operating theatre suite.
The off-site prefabricated units provided 850m² of new space over two storeys, with seamless access into the existing hospital at theatre suite level, blending current department activity and new operating facilities across different buildings and functions.
Works commenced with the breakthrough into the existing theatre department corridor, adjacent at level 1. This created a fluid passage between the two theatre departments, without the need for stairs or a lift. The new modular facility is built onto a transfer deck in an existing vacant courtyard.
Level 1 comprises the orthopaedic theatre suite with dedicated scrub and anaesthetic, 4-bed recovery, prep room, nurse base, clean and dirty utility and ancillary rooms. Level 2 houses the theatre plantroom. The modular lift took place in October 2018 and all 18 modules were installed over one weekend.
Externally the building is finished in grey plastisol, which has insulation and noise-reduction benefits. Internally, the scheme is clean and minimalist with white walls and grey door sets throughout. Polyflor flooring is used and the theatre suite benefits from a fully concrete floor to ensure response factor compliance is achieved.
Off-site advanced fit out minimised the works and accelerated the programme, saving over 30 weeks against the initial traditional option. This allowed the client a faster return on investment and prelim savings in addition to minimal estate disruption.
Due to the busy and congested streets of London and the 24-hour nature of the hospital, we programmed the module delivery and building cranage to take place out of normal working hours. A road closure was put in place from 8pm on Friday 12th October, through to 8am on Monday 15th October and it was vital that all modules were safely installed before the roads were reopened. We used two teams to rotate continuous 12-hour shifts to oversee the whole installation period, successfully achieved the lifting process on time, minimising impact on operations and neighbours, as well as reducing risks and accelerating the programme.
Extremely efficient MEP technologies were implemented including use of LED lighting, motion-sensing lighting, heating solutions and an intelligent eco-efficient Ultra Clean Canopy, heat and humidity compatible with the hospital’s BMS and FM systems. This technology reduced energy consumption by 18%, minimising the building’s carbon footprint, while also ensuring a comfortable environment for patients and staff.
“In partnership with J&JMS, MTX has delivered an exceptional building which provides GSTT with additional surgical and recovery capacity. Despite the constant challenges associated with delivering a build project within one of the busiest parts of central London, MTX delivered the theatre complex on time and under budget” Adam Davies, Operations Manager, Johnson & Johnson
