award winning architects

Wednesday, 01 September 2010 00:00

Boswyns Drug Detox Centre

Cornwall Community Welcomes New Drugs Detox Centre Designed By Stride Treglown

South West architects Stride Treglown have received high praise for their work on Boswyns, a new £1.5m drugs detoxification centre in Townshend near Hayle, Cornwall.

Two months have now passed since the centre was opened by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex on Friday 16th July, and Stride Treglown’s unique design is already proving to be a great success as a secure, residential environment.

Funded by a grant awarded to the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Drug and Alcohol Team and Bosence Farm Community by the Department of Health, the 15 bed centre is a first for the county, where there is no current provision for this kind of treatment.

The development provides a facility for drug users in need of a residential environment, offering medical, nursing, social and education interventions services lasting between two and six weeks. A range of non-medical interventions such as life skills training, educational programmes and leisure pursuits are also on offer.

Architects Stride Treglown’s design for the centre was unanimously selected as the winner of a competition run by the Cornwall Sustainable Building Trust. The concept of the scheme came from the ancient Cornish settlements of Carn Euny and Chysauster which were very organic in form and grew out of the ground using locally sourced stone.

From the original conceptual design, the development of the facility was driven by a wish to reduce the impact of the building on the surrounding environment and reduce the operating costs through energy efficiency and simplicity. The overall building aesthetics respect the relief of the site to 'blend in' when viewed from a distance, and construction materials have been selected to minimise resources from non-sustainable sources, such as timber frame, larch cladding, green roofs and locally reclaimed stone walling. In addition to these measures the levels of insulation targeted were 20% better than current Building Regulation requirements and robust construction was specified to reduce infiltration and air leakage.

Alastair Wilson, director of Stride Treglown's Plymouth and Truro offices, said, "We were delighted to be involved in this unique project. Not only is this kind of resource a first for the county, but the building is also sympathetic to the surrounding environment and sustainability."

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projects / healthcare / Boswyns Drug Detox Centre
Boswyns Drug Detox Centre