Lowry Building & Civil Engineering Ltd secured the national Local Authority / Public Sector award for building two state-of-the-art surgical theatres in an internal courtyard space of the Altnagelvin Area Hospital in Northern Ireland.
The builder effectively managed the significant risks associated with carrying out construction in a live hospital environment with operational wards and busy clinics in close vicinity to the construction works. In addition, the team observed strict infection control procedures throughout the project and successfully negotiated the challenges posed by the hospital’s sole access route on the main road.
Lowry Building & Civil Engineering committed to delivering materials to the site via an overhead crane to avoid the risks associated with moving building materials through the hospital itself and used out-of-hours scheduling to minimise disruption and prioritise the needs of staff and patients. An existing prefabricated unit was also demolished and removed to make room for the new theatres’ steel frame and a total renovation of the surrounding area of the hospital.
The team fully integrated themselves into the daily operation of the hospital to better understand and adapt building works to the daily activities on the ward. The client was informed through weekly meetings, which also ensured that upcoming construction and healthcare activities could be aligned and building works remained on track.
The two state-of-the-art surgical theatres built by Lowry Building & Civil Engineering are the first of their kind at Altnagelvin Area Hospital.
