Sixty-bed extension to the existing Community Nurning unit at Heather House

Gurranabraher, Cork

The 60-bed extension to Heather House Community Nursing Unit was developed to meet the Health Service Executive's (HSE) need for HIQA-compliant residential care for older adults in Cork city. It also provided step-down facilities for long-stay patients from Cork University Hospital to alleviate pressure during the pandemic.

This rapid-build project, completed under COVID-19 emergency legislation, began in January 2021 and reached substantial completion in March 2022, within a 13-month timeframe. The project used a steel frame system (SFS) to accommodate mechanical and electrical services, including oxygen lines for each of the 60 bedrooms. Unlike the existing facility, which relied on oxygen cylinders, the extension now has piped oxygen in all rooms, a change prompted by the pandemic.

The extension had to seamlessly integrate with the existing 50-bed unit, which dictated floor-to-ceiling heights. Limited ceiling space on the ground floor required most services to run through the first floor's larger ceiling void, with careful coordination to ensure a smooth transition between the buildings.