This medium secure inpatient care unit for young people with complex mental health issues is the first of its kind in Scotland. The specialised nature of the unit required extensive client engagement with our landscape designers to ensure that we best met the needs of the young people and staff: meeting the fine line between safety, nurture, and care.

Placing therapeutic landscapes at the heart of the design, the buildings were designed to form three distinct, safe, and accessible green spaces for both private and communal use. These secure outdoor spaces range from active sports areas to educational and allotment gardens as well as domestic scale garden spaces and a sheltered dining terrace. Sensory and texturally rich seasonal planting was selected to create welcoming, calm spaces that promote a reassuring and relaxing environment for young people, carers, and family visitors. Design and construction detailing were prepared to meet published guidance for Medium Secure Units, and the site secure edge was integrated into the design.

Co-located on site with adult services (Woodland View) the development has the challenge of being on a tight/live site.

CLIENT:  NHS Ayrshire and Arran
LOCATION: Irvine, Ayrshire
PARTNERS: Medical Architecture, Kier Construction
SERVICES: Landscape Architecture S1- S6
PROGRAMME: 2019 – ongoing