Located between a small pharmacy and a public library, this GP Surgery is at the heart of the community in Comber, Co.Down.
The brief was to reconfigure and refurbish the existing building, adding additional treatment rooms to increase patient capacity. Two new multidisciplinary rooms were created on the ground floor and an office was added on the first floor, doubling as a space for video consultations.
The original building presented a defensive elevation to the main street, with steel roller shutters and high security fencing creating a sense of hostility. The refurbishment works presented an opportunity to reconfigure the main entrance and improve its connection with the public realm.
Externally, a new covered canopy was erected over the relocated entrance, improving safety and accessibly. The existing fencing was removed and areas of planting were introduced, softening a new white rendered elevation. Large format clear glazing replaced the shuttered entrance, presenting a more open and inviting elevation to the street.
Internally, glazed double doors allow natural light deep into the plan and establish stretching views along the main circulation axis. The reception desk was relocated, becoming a more accessible stand-alone piece of furniture within an open plan waiting room. The material palette conforms with strict hygiene requirements while introducing warmth and tactility to the clinical spaces. The use of colour and playful way finding graphics aim to create a more stimulating healthcare environment.
The project was completed in 2022, with a second phase of public realm improvement works planned in 2023.
Contractor: Keelryan Developments
Structural Engineer: Albert Fry Associates
Quantity Surveyor: LOOK Quantity Surveyors
Photographer: Donal McCann Photography
