East MidlandsAmbulance Service
Lungfish Architects were appointed by the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) to produce a report to support the transformation of the EMAS estate, based on the newly adopted ‘Make Ready’ process.
Our brief was to develop a concept design for the transformation of the entire estate, optimising efficiencies through design, from construction and delivery, to the operation and performance of staff using the building - where front line staff can enter and exit the building in 5 minutes.
‘Make Ready’ is a vehicle preparation system which sees specialist teams of staff employed to clean, restock and maintain vehicles; minimising the risk of cross-infection, improving vehicle maintenance and freeing up time for front line staff.
Sector
Commercial
Services
Architecture
Status
In concept pre-planning
Client
East Midlands Ambulance Service
Location
Estate-wide across the East Midlands
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Working through a comprehensive 10-week client engagement programme, a series of diagrams were explored and developed to reflect the desired 'Make Ready' process for all staff and vehicle movement throughout the sites, in line with the brief and ambitions of EMAS. This formed the foundation for further design development, outlining the fundamental processes, operational adjacencies and connections required to ensure optimal efficiency.
Collaborating with EMAS representatives, from ambulance paramedics to operational management levels, through this programme enabled our teams to develop three options of a desired layout which not only make up the agreed (Schedule of Accommodation) SOAs, but also incorporate improved facilities and environmental strategies into the design too.
1. Estate Strategy
Rationalising the estate to maximise efficiency.
Establishing core strategic and design approaches to improve performance and productivity in a way which is repeatable, scalable and identifiable.
The ‘Hub’ Network’ diagram (above) shows how the various sized facilities will support the delivery of the 'Make Ready' service. During a 24-hour period, the fleet vehicles are required to be processed twice to ensure it is prepared for the shift ahead.
- Large Hub centres will provide a significant amount of the services to deliver this to the fleet vehicles. Equipped with the largest Fleet (including an MOT bay) and Make Ready facilities. They also provide support for the Community Ambulance Service (CAS) centres across the region. Within these there will be a Divisional Head Quarters (DHQ), providing management facilities for the local centres, alongside educational facilities to ensure staff training requirements are delivered.
- Medium Hubs will operate similarly to their larger counter parts, but with reduced capacity in comparison.
- CAS Hubs are a base location for ambulances while on duty and facilities could include welfare facilities.
Each geographical region will have a DHQ facility, however this may be accommodated within a Medium Hub centre, depending on the regions capacity and/or requirements for facilities.
2. Make ready system
Developing a site-wide spatial strategy in line with the core processes of the ‘Make Ready’ system.
Establishing each departments independent functional requirements whilst identifying integral links between departments to facilitate the entire process.
3. End users
Changing behaviours through design.
Identifying the extent of tasks undertaken by each member of staff to fulfil their role; from ‘on-shift’ primary actions to ‘off-shift’ secondary actions. Establishing movement sequences to inform the required spaces and their arrangement, encouraging the most efficient operational flow through the building.
4. Departments
Using process to define the layout, rather than allowing the layout to influence process.
Developing an internal spatial strategy for each independent department, utilising the movement sequences determined for each member of staff. Mapping actions in spatial arrangments to explore adjacencies and room requirements to encourage positive and efficient use of the spaces, in line with the ‘Make Ready’ process.
The design concept centred on allowing the process to define each building within the EMAS estate. No matter what size of facility or shape of site, each building follows the same distinction of departments, sequence of internal spaces and connections to other departments and external site, so that a single line of ‘process’ runs through each building that is instantly recognisable.
5. Integral Links
Refining each department by defining room adjacencies, spacial and environmental requirements.
Following this the overall building adjacencies were explored, identifing integral links between departments for essential communication and handover actions, working in cooperation with EMAS to explore variants.
6. Central Communication Hub
Staff movement sequences remain at the forefront of the layout design.
The central foyer was designed to act as the information exchange for all departments. Its geometry was defined by mapping all staff movement, using splays to create sight-lines, help way-finding, and deal with flux in volume of people and multi-directional foot-traffic.
7. Massing
Reducing construction and operation costs by reducing the volume of space where appropriate while retaining the simplicity of the structure.
A mono-pitch roof provided efficiencies in space, grouping fleet and two-storey District Head Quarter facilities to one side of the building.
8. Form and construction
Assessing the function and scale of each facility within the EMAS estate in relation to appropriate construction methods to provide cost and time savings.
Steel frame construction was explored while also assessing the potential for modular application, looking at both volumetric modular and SIPS, which can both provide time savings during construction and offer cost efficiencies if rolled out as part of a wider estate development for standardised designs.
