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Swedish hospital 'takes a chance' on Howe Green
June 21, 2017
The New Karolinska Solna University Hospital (NKS) in Stockholm has been hitting the headlines for over a decade. The original Karolinska University Hospital was founded in 1930. Since the 1930's the hospital campus has expanded to cover a vast area with an estate of over 40 separate buildings.
In 2005 Stockholm County Council, who are responsible for delivering healthcare in the city, ran a design competition inviting “visionary thinking, modern design and unconventional ideas to form the basis of the creation of the new hospital”. The competition was won by White Architects from Sweden with their 'Forum Karolinska'.
In 2008 Stockholm County Council took the decision to go ahead with the new hospital. They were the first Swedish healthcare project to adopt the Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework to finance, build and manage a hospital. In 2010 the PPP agreement was made between the County Council and the project company - Swedish Hospital Partner AB, a consortium of Skanska and their investment partner UK based Innisfree.
Skanska employed White Architects and Tengbom Architects to execute the design and coordinate the construction of the £1.5 billion facility.
A significant aim of the project was to create a purpose built environment with a strong focus on energy efficiency and sustainability. Phase One of the building has attained LEED Gold and the Swedish system "Miljöbyggnad" Gold certification
The ethos is to put the patient first and the list of facilities is impressive. It has 730 in-patient beds, 100 rooms for day care, 36 operating theatres, 168 out-patient clinic rooms and 8 radiation treatment rooms.
Howe Green Ltd supplied a number of HSE75 Hinged Aluminium Floor Access Covers for the hospital through their Swedish distributor, Elkington AB. From their base in Stockholm, Elkington have been distributing Howe Green access covers for projects across Sweden since 1999.
The gas assisted hinged HSE75 hatches provide easy and safe access to the underground power stations and escape routes located underneath the hospital. They have been installed in the various areas of the hospital and infilled with both concrete and tiled flooring to provide a seamless, flush floor finish.
The hinged access hatches are ideal for environments where regular access to concealed services is required for maintenance purposes and in public places where health and safety is crucial.
The HSE75 can be infilled with ceramic tiles, marble, terrazzo, concrete, resin, wood or parquet floors and is suitable for pedestrian and vehicle traffic up to a 5 tonne pneumatic tyre wheel load. Supplied as a single cover or a configuration of duct covers in standard sizes from stock or precision made to order.
Options include a top and underside release latch, for added security and safety, a double seal and fire rating up to 3 hours BS 476: Part 20: 1987.
The Howe Green range of access covers are tried and tested in a healthcare setting. They have been specified in hospitals around the world including Southmead Hospital in Bristol, Queen’s Hospital in Romford, Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Lennox Addington Hospital in Ontario, Canada.
Company: Howe Green US
Source: https://www.howegreen.com/access-covers/projects/nks-hospital-stockholm.php
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