Arbroath : Primary Care Centre

Campbell & Arnott - Building PR Arbroath Primary Care Centre, Angus Work is to begin on site in March on a new medical centre in Arbroath on a derelict former gasworks site, to house 3 GP practices. The main feature of the building is a double height central circulation 'street' which forms the spine of the building. Pedestrians will approach through the site along a wide pathway with a double height wall to one side clad in red sandstone which will guide them into the building, and the circulation spine. This space will be extremely light and spacious, being fully glazed at each end with a series of rooflights and high level windows above. It will house the reception and waiting areas for the 3 Arbroath practices, each of which will have their own wing of the building. Waiting areas will also be a particular feature, being bright and open with pleasant views out, but not in. The waiting areas to the rear of the Arbroath Primary Care Centre and some of the consulting rooms will look out on to a peaceful Japanese style courtyard garden. Although the whole building has been designed to maximise spaciousness and openness, the important issue of privacy has not been neglected. The Arbroath Care Centre building has been designed with functionality in mind and all patients areas are at ground floor level for ease of access. A total of 17 consulting rooms will be provided as well as nurse accommodation, each tailored to the needs of the individual practices. Externally, the Arbroath Primary Care Centre will make a contemporary statement, while still respecting its neighbours in terms of mass and scale on the street frontage. Materials used will include sandstone, smooth white render, and Douglas Fir timber cladding. The existing stone walls around the Arbroath Care Centre site will be retained where possible and new walls will be introduced within the site and on the street frontage, ensuring that the new building responds to the grain of the existing urban fabric. We believe that the new Arbroath medical centre will be a great asset to the area, both in the terms of the vastly improved facility that it will provide for the medical practices and their patients, and in terms of its appearance, bringing a contemporary new building to the street. The new care centre building is expected to be completed at the start of 2003.