St Colman’s Hospital, Rathdrum, Co Wicklow

Summary

Roughan & O'Donovan was engaged by the Health Service Executive to provide structural engineering design services for a 95-bed community nursing unit at St Colman’s Hospital in Rathdrum, Co Wicklow. Our design team partners include Wejchert Architects, Hayes Higgins Partnership (M&E) and Turner & Townsend (QS).

The scheme comprises a mix of single, double and three-storey circulation and accommodation blocks, demolition works and significant refurbishment to the existing healthcare facilities on the campus.

Construction began in March 2025, and the project is due to be completed in late 2027.

Challenge

The site topography presented numerous engineering challenges for the design team, with the level difference of 22 metres from the lowest to the highest point of the site chief among them.

Highlight

The design solution provides for floor-to-ceiling windows in patient bedrooms. The windows are equipped with two manually operable, inward sashes that open to a maximum of 300mm and 100mm respectively.

The large windows encourage natural ventilation; allow daylight to penetrate deep into each room, across floors and ceiling planes; and provide patients with great views of the landscaped gardens outside.

Solution

The project consists of a new build, multi-storey extension to the existing hospital (6,623m²); refurbishment and an upgrade of existing hospital facilities (2,561m²); and demolition works (2,077m²).

A construction methodology comprising a 300mm concrete flat slab, with 300mm x 300mm reinforced concrete columns and larger columns near openings, was devised for the scheme. While this solution offered advantages in terms of horizontal services distribution - downstand beams could be avoided - it was somewhat restrictive in terms of vertical services distribution. Strategically located vertical risers were therefore essential.

In-situ flat slab construction requires intensive on-site construction, which is associated with installation and striking of shuttering, reinforcement and large volumes of concrete pouring.

The design team proposed a new access road to circulate the development to the south, with separate foul and surface water drainage systems to replace the existing combined sewer for the campus. Surface water will be attenuated within the site using a soakaway located within a landscaped area to the south of the site.