INTRODUCING RONALD McDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES Ronald McDonald House Charities provides free home away from home accommodation for families with children in hospital. There are currently 14 Ronald McDonald Houses across the UK, all just a stone s throw from the children s ward. Together, they help more than 6,000 families every year. Families travel miles from home so that their child can receive expert medical care from specialist children s hospitals and often children have to remain in hospital for weeks, months or even years. For the families, basic needs like shelter, food and sleep become reasons for anxiety, as they struggle to stay near their sick child while keeping the whole family together. Without a local Ronald McDonald House, many parents have to sleep on a chair by their child s bed, on a pull down bed if this is available, or pay vast sums of money for hotel accommodation. As an independent, registered charity we rely on the support and generosity of our families, volunteers and donors to sustain and provide more family accommodation. We have achieved a lot in the last 25 years. However, there is still a great deal to do and more families need our help. Four days after we left the hospital where our son was born, our world was turned upside down. Matthew was rushed in a blue-light ambulance to the John Radcliffe Hospital for openheart surgery. We barely left his side post-operation and don t know what we would have done if we hadn t have stayed at the House. - The Molloy family stayed at Ronald McDonald House Oxford when their son was diagnosed with DiGeorge syndrome THE REQUIREMENTS AT Oxford Children s Hospital offers many regional and supra-regional specialist services and is the home to one of only four paediatric craniofacial services in the UK, meaning children and their families travel from all over the UK, including Northern Ireland, to receive vital care. The Ronald McDonald House at Oxford Children s Hospital was the eleventh Ronald McDonald House to open in the UK, and the first House in the UK to be opened within a hospital building itself. The House helps over 600 families each year stay together, close to their children in hospital. The House is on the top floor of the Children s hospital and offers 17 rooms where parents can get some much needed rest, however, the demand for these rooms severely outweighs the number available and as a result, the House limits its support to Children s Services (a recent calculation deemed that 67 bedrooms were required). Further to this, our location within the main building means we do not provide the full support and facilities that we offer in our other Houses. Ronald McDonald House Charities, in partnership with Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust would therefore like to develop a new House within the grounds of the John Radcliffe Hospital and to extend our service to support families of babies in Newborn Intensive Care. The new House would be purpose built and better able to fully meet the current and future demand for rooms and offer a true home away from home. The proposals seen here are currently being developed with the intention to submit a planning application by March 2016. WHAT IS A RONALD McDONALD HOUSE? A Ronald McDonald House is more than just a place to stay. Our Houses offer comfort, support and a safe environment where families can interact and share their experiences. Each Ronald McDonald House is unique to the setting and circumstances of the particular hospital; they may occupy existing buildings on site, be located in part of the hospital itself, or they can be a brand new building specifically designed to meet the needs of the families who stay with us. However, the facilities that make up the Houses are relatively common across all of these, with varying degrees of provision depending on the size of the House. Ronald McDonald House, Evelina London Ronald McDonald House, Birmingham Ronald McDonald House,Manchester We didn t know if our son was going to live or die. We wanted to be near him, but we couldn t stay on the neo-natal intensive care unit. That s when a nurse told us about the Ronald McDonald House. To be a few minutes away from Luca s bedside provided us with so much comfort and meant we could support each other at what was a crucial time of our lives it was invaluable. Katie Gardiner stayed at Ronald McDonald House Manchester with her husband when was rushed to hospital after specialists detected a life-threatening problem with his brain Our Houses offer comfort, support and a sense of normality to thousands of families each year Family bedrooms providing accommodation for up to four people External space provides a natural escape for the families and staff facilities used for cooking, eating and relaxing
SITE OLD HEADINGTON CONSERVATION AREA Following a detailed options appraisal, a proposed site was identified by the hospital on the southern edge of the campus, on the Woodlands Road entrance. The site occupies two existing tennis courts and a small parkland to the south, which was part of the old Headington Manor House estate. The main hospital building is to the north, with residential properties and gardens to the south and west, and existing nurses accommodation (Arthur Sanctuary House) and a nursery to the east. The site and it s context were analysed, with a number of key site constraints identified: John Radcliffe Hospital Campus Main Hospital Building Children s Hospital Hospital car parking Existing Tennis Courts Arthur Sanctuary House (nurses accommodation) Headington Manor House Sa fi nd Nursery eld Site location plan ad Ro Building to be kept away from residential properties to respect their privacy and views out Site of the proposed Ronald McDonald House Parkland Area With Trees Adjacent building heights Arthur Sanctuary House Nursery on Woodlands Road Residences on Sandfield Road Main hospital building Old Headington Conservation area Old Headington Conservation area 3 y 1 y 4 y 2 y 7 y Existing site plan and building heights Primary approach from hospital and secondary approach from Woodlands Road to be considered Residences adjacent to Cuckoo Lane Headington Manor The parkland nature of the site to be retained with as many trees as possible to be kept and specifically the two Sessile Oaks (shown hatched) in the centre of the site External space to be provided in the form of a private garden and also public amenity space
SITE LAYOUT The form, orientation and positioning of the House has been derived from the site analysis, and this has led to the an L shape building located to the north east corner of the site. This enables the retention of the majority of the existing trees on the site, and specifically the two Sessile Oaks, and also keeps the building as far from the residential properties as possible. The L shaped form address both the Hospital and Woodlands Road, creating an entrance location on the corner of the building, and helps to create an enclosed garden area. The parkland area to the south of the site will be developed as an area of public landscape and amenity for use by Hospital staff and visitors. 1 2 Woodlands Road 3 3 5 4 Key 1. Building entrance 2. The private garden 3. Mature oaks retained, one with a circular oak seat 4. Wedges of spring flowering bulbs in the lawn 5. Wave of planting along the boundary 6. Beach huts for storage and play 7. Teenage hangout 8. Kids play with boat 9. Stepping stones and timber posts 10. Green paving bands running through main patio 11. Raised timber beds - herbs and fruit 12. Quiet patio with bamboo trough 13. Timber seating between planting and lawn 14. Story telling circle 15. Dynamic planting edge 16. New evergreen tree planting to create screening LANDSCAPE The character and layout of the garden and public space is inspired by a beach / sea theme. A series of parallel lines which reflect the timber sand barriers (groynes) typically found on beaches vary from timber slatted seating walls to green paving bands and lines of timber posts. The lines create a series of linear spaces giving the gardens structure and each providing different flexible functions suiting different ages and needs of the people using the house. Two beach huts in the northern corner of the garden create a visually interesting buffer to the car park and include play, storage and hangout space. A kids play space with play equipment and play raft set in soft rubber crumb surfacing are also located within this area of the garden. Raised planting beds containing herbs and soft fruit create a seating edge to the lawn and a buffer to the ground floor bedrooms. A linear exploratory zone leads from the kids play through colourful and textural planting to a story telling circle. The planting along the site boundary includes low maintenance shrubs and perennials in silvers, blues and whites with textures that echo the dynamic nature of the sea and wind. Site and overall landscape Plan 11 12 Landscape Images Sandfield Road The triangular public space to the south of the proposed House features two mature oak trees, one with a circular timber feature seat. Wedges of spring bulbs are set within the open lawn. The backdrop planting along the boundary is mainly low maintenance shrubs with native and wildlife value. 14 10 TRANSPORT AND PARKING 13 Car parking is not required as the facility will be parking neutral, however, a drop off lay by will be provided adjacent to the main entrance. Users of the House would already be visiting the hospital and using existing car parking even if they were not staying at the House, in fact, the new House is likely to reduce the number of car journeys as the residents will be able to walk to the Children s hospital as opposed to travelling to and from home, or off site accommodation, each day. A transport statement is being prepared by Mode Transport Planning in conjunction with the Trust and Charity to ensure that access to the site during construction and for the life of the building is fully considered. 6 7 8 9 15 16 CONSTRUCTION STAGE MANAGEMENT The management of the project during the construction stage is being carefully considered by the Charity and Trust, who are working together to ensure that the least possible disturbance is created to the local residents and patients of the Hospital. The Charity has already engaged a national contractor who are developing the construction stage plan, and will ensure that the construction stage is managed to the highest standard. Private Garden Plan Landscape Illustrative Sketches
LAYOUT The site constraints have largely defined the size and shape of the building, which has been limited to 4 storeys to respect the residential properties to the rear of the site. This has allowed for the provision of 62 family bedrooms, slightly short of the required 67, which form the majority of the 3 upper floors of the House. The bedrooms are designed to include two single plus two pull-out beds, providing accommodation for up to four people. This means that a whole family can stay together in one room. facilities are also provided for residents on each floor of the House. These areas are used for cooking, eating, cleaning and relaxing. The Charity has found that this is of great importance for families, who can continue to carry out their usual day to day routines. It also provides an area where families may interact with one another and share their similar experiences at what can be a very difficult time. At ground floor the main reception area forms the heart of the House, surrounded by the main staff offices and communal day room, which provides direct interaction between families and staff and creates a welcoming and safe environment. The day room opens out onto the garden, and provides facilities where families who are not staying at the House may relax and unwind away from the hospital ward. Adjacent to the day room are a number of ancillary spaces such as toilets, staff room and house laundry. The 5 accessible bedrooms are located on the ground floor, to allow for ease of access, and the majority of these bedrooms front onto the garden. These rooms are served by a small communal area, also opening onto the garden, with the remainder of the ground floor area occupied by ancillary spaces such as plant rooms and stores. Dining/ Living Laundry Typical upper floor plan Refuse Dining/ Living Back of House Residential Circulation s Interior design visual, proposed reception desk and seating area (RMH Evelina) SUSTAINABILITY Interior design visual, proposed communal area (RMH Evelina) Sustainability is a key driver for Ronald McDonald House Charities. The building form, orientation and layout for RMH Oxford was largely dictated by site constraints, however, the facade design and environmental servicing strategy aims to deliver an energy efficient and user friendly building, with the following key credentials: Entrance Lobby Mgr s Refuse Laundry/ Cycle Comms Plant Substation Switch Target 30% reduction of CO² emissions over and above the requirement in Part L of the Building Regulations BREEAM rating of Very Good In order to achieve this, the building will utilise the following systems and technologies: Excellent building fabric insulation and air tightness to reduce the amount of heat lost Natural ventilation to majority of spaces Extremely efficient CHP (combined heat and power) unit to provide heating and hot water Highly efficient air source heat pump technology used for cooling where required LED lighting to the majority of the building (high efficiency T5 or low energy bulbs where this is not possible) Natural building materials such as brick to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction process Supplementary roof mounted PV panels if required Waiting Area General WC & Acc. WC House Laundry Staff Mtg Day Board Fundraiser s Dining/ Living Interior design visual, proposed bedroom (standard bedroom for all Houses) Ground floor plan
APPEARANCE The design proposals have undergone a thorough development and review process over the past 6 months in conjunction with Oxford City Council. The design has also been subject to a review by the Oxford Deisgn Review Panel, and the latest proposals have taken on board the comments from this review. The external design aims to respond to the sites unique setting, and has had to consider a number of different drivers. The building sits within a small area of parkland (part of the old Headington Manor estate), but the immediate surroundings also consist of the contrasting elements of the main hospital to one side, and smaller residential properties to the other. In addition to this, the nearby conservation area has also been considered. The resulting design aims to create a building that is viewed equally from all sides. The four storeys of the building are broken down into a ground floor, central section, and roof storey. The ground floor utilises a combination of green and grey bricks in a patterned appearance, creating interest at a human scale, and also linking to the use of green and grey as part of the RMHC branding. The main entrance is highlighted by a large cut out in the facade and glazed entrance lobby. Main hospital approach The central section reflects the main bulk of the building, and consists of a high quality buff brick, reflecting the materials from the conservation area and Oxford as a whole. The bedrooms are expressed through regular punched windows set within a chamfered brick recess, creating a strong rhythm all the way round the building. The communal areas to each end are expressed through slight variation in the window treatment using projecting metal surrounds, which helps to add interest to the facades and highlight the entrance to the building. The top floor is envisaged as a roof storey to the building. The facade is set back from the main building and the ends stepped in to reduce the overall mass and thus impact on its neighbours, and metal cladding has been utilised to reflect the colour of roofing materials in the local area. THANK YOU Ronald McDonald House Charities would like to thank you for taking the time to view today s exhibition. We would be pleased to hear your views on the current proposals and invite you to fill in a comment form and post it in the box provided. Alternatively you may take it away with you to complete in your own time, and post it to the address as shown. If you have any immediate queries, the members of the design team and representatives from the Charity and Trust will be pleased to help you. Woodlands Road approach Ronald McDonald House Charities and the design team will review the responses received, and after considering all the comments, may make changes to the proposals where appropriate. The council will also undertake its own consultation exercise once the planning application is submitted, and there will be an opportunity for revised plans to be submitted to address any appropriate issues that arise. Main hospital approach Rear view