A DOCTORS’ surgery near Lincoln has been rebuilt using EQUITONE fibre cement facade material, giving the new premises a natural, contemporary look.
Richmond Medical Centre, in North Hykeham, has been developed to replace the outdated surgery with a modern, user-friendly facility for GPs, staff and patients.
As part of the £2 million design and build project, Lincoln-based Core Architects specified EQUITONE [natura], in a range of colours using a rivet fixing system.
Rod Davison, architectural technologist at Core Architects, said: “We worked with the planning authority to establish their requirements for a fibre cement facade material for this project and we specified EQUITONE to the developer.
“It’s durable and robust, with an aesthetically pleasing colour scheme, giving a strong contemporary appearance in line with the design requirements for new NHS premises.
“We’ve used EQUITONE before on several buildings and think it is a fantastic material to work with due to its outstanding physical properties and aesthetics. It also has a life expectancy of at least 50 years, which is great for NHS buildings, which need long term investment due to capital spending continuing to fall.
“The nine-month project presented the architects and builders with a number of challenges, primarily because of the medical centre’s location.
“It was a tight site, with trees, car parks and road junctions to contend with, but it all worked out well in the end.
“The building, which is now completed, looks good from the outside and is light and airy inside. Staff and patients have commented how pleased they are with the results.”
EQUITONE [natura] offers a tactile smooth surface which allows the textures of the fibre cement to show through the facade.
All EQUITONE materials are available in a range of colours, finishes and fixing options, giving full creative scope.
In addition, EQUITONE meets the fire performance classification (A2-s1 d0), making it suitable for a variety of building types.
For more information on EQUITONE facade materials visit www.equitone.co.uk
