{"id":37473,"date":"2023-05-19T17:10:20","date_gmt":"2023-05-19T17:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.archtam.com\/projects\/royal-jubilee-maternity-hospital-belfast\/"},"modified":"2024-07-17T12:07:18","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T16:07:18","slug":"royal-jubilee-maternity-hospital-belfast","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/www.archtam.com\/projects\/royal-jubilee-maternity-hospital-belfast\/","title":{"rendered":"Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital: redefining maternity care in Belfast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Discover how Belfast\u2019s new maternity hospital combines cutting-edge facilities with a hotel-inspired design to better support mothers and their newborns. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The new Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a state-of-the-art facility designed to provide leading maternity care for women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appointed by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust as lead architect, we collaborated with partners Isherwood + Ellis to develop a concept design for the new facility that carefully considered each stage of the maternity journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now complete, the hospital is set to support more than 5,000<\/a> women who rely on Royal Jubilee Maternity Services each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wellbeing and recovery at the heart of design<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The new maternity hospital is part of the broader development of Belfast\u2019s Royal Victoria Hospital that is replacing outdated facilities no longer fit for purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spread over three storeys and covering 17,000 square metres, it will provide comprehensive care for mothers and babies \u2013 from routine deliveries to those requiring specialised care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To meet the vision for future maternity care outlined in the Northern Ireland maternity strategy<\/a>, we designed each aspect of the new hospital to normalise pregnancy and birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We achieved this by placing the mother, baby and supporting family members at the centre of our design approach to aid recovery and reduce the length of stays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon arrival, women and visitors are greeted by a bright and spacious glazed atrium which contains easy waymarking to pre or postnatal facilities. Delivery suites, obstetric theatres, en-suite rooms with birthing pools, and a neonatal care unit all conveniently located on one floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, there is an early pregnancy unit, a midwifery-led unit, and a maternity ward \u2013 as well as other facilities including a cocoon-shaped quiet room for bereaved parents and families. There is also a 10-bed ward located directly above the theatres to support high-risk antenatal and postnatal women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Transforming clinical spaces<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To further reduce the clinical atmosphere, our design includes several features to help make women feel safe, reassured and calm during their stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Birthing room options:<\/strong> birthing rooms are equipped with various options such as birthing pools, medicine balls, ropes and labour stools, empowering women\u2019s birthing choices.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    • Overnight accommodation:<\/strong> rooms for family members to stay overnight and support mothers and neonatal babies until they are discharged.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      • Concealed medical equipment:<\/strong> piped medical gas and tubes are hidden behind bespoke panels in the patient rooms.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        • Natural light and privacy:<\/strong> full-length windows with electronic blinds allow for natural light whilst maintaining privacy.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
          • Artwork:<\/strong> the neonatology unit is decorated with watercolour illustrations by local artist Anita Jeram, adding a sense of play and colour throughout the ward.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Engaging stakeholders in the design process was crucial. We facilitated one-to-one mock-ups of key neonatal spaces at the design stage, ensuring midwives and doctors could confirm the rooms met the needs of both staff and patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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            Bringing new life to maternity care in Belfast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            The new hospital, which was built beside the existing maternity hospital to reduce service disruption, is going through final stages of preparation before opening to the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            When it does, it will not only provide greater resilience for the Royal Jubilee Maternity Services, but it will also set a new standard for maternity care across the UK and Ireland \u2013 demonstrating how thoughtful design can create a more supportive environment for mothers and their babies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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