Stuart Parker, business development director at Morgan Sindall Professional Services (MSPS), the multidisciplinary design consultancy, joined Shona Robison, cabinet secretary for health and wellbeing, this week for the official ‘sod cutting’ to mark the construction of the new state-of-the-art Eastwood Health and Care Centre (HCC) in East Renfrewshire.

The design of the £15 million health and care centre, where MSPS has provided civil and structural engineering design services and with Gareth Hoskins as architects, has achieved reference design status for best practice in energy and efficiency.

As a reference design, it will be used in future projects as a representation of excellent design achievable within good value Affordability Caps, with elements and design principals easily transferred into new project designs.

Stuart says MSPS has valuable experience in all areas of public sector building design: “We are well placed to contribute to reference design, with strong BIM capabilities, experienced engineers and a proven portfolio of public sector projects in healthcare, as well as education, council offices and custodial services.”

The health and care centre is the first of three such facilities that MSPS is designing for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as projects from its Hub West Scotland framework agreement. MSPS’ Eastwood HCC contract will novate to the D&B contractor following financial close. The new centres are designed to address the problems of the areas’ aging population, and further integrate health and care into the responsibility of the local authority and third sector services.

The multi-disciplinary design achieves an efficient, cost-effective structural frame; modern, open plan office spaces; a full-height atrium using curtain walling glazing creating a light, spacious and appealing main entrance; high-quality facing brickwork facades providing an attractive external appearance as well as ensuring durability and low maintenance; and generous, free-draining parking provision.

Scott Wilson, Morgan Sindall’s business development director and Edward Carr, area director for Morgan Sindall PLC also attended the event

Eastwood HCC has been funded by the Scottish Future Trust and is due to open by spring 2016.