NEWS
AT HAMILTON ARCHITECTS
FEBRUARY 2010
NEW ARDS CONSTRUCTION SKILLS CENTRE NOW OPEN
Hamilton Architects handed over the new £3.6m construction skills workshop facility to the South Eastern Regional College in January 2010. The new centre will provide workshops and ancillary accommodation for the five vocational skills, namely Electrical, Plumbing, Carpentry and Joinery, Brickwork and Motor vehicles. The new integrated facility replaces out dated substandard accommodation and will be of benefit to the whole community.

MULTI-MILLION POUND MEDICINES MANUFACTURING FACILITY NOW COMPLETE
Victoria Pharmaceuticals, a new purpose built facility in the grounds of the Royal Group of Hospitals in Belfast, is complete and will improve efficiencies and contribute towards the highest quality patient care. The facility will provide specialist medicines for a wide range of patients including intravenous feeding solutions for neonates, ophthalmic preparations, controlled analgesia and cancer chemotherapy. It will also produce and supply a range of pharmaceuticals to hospitals and primary care in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the UK, and is the only facility of its kind throughout Ireland.

JANUARY 2010
CIVIC TRUST NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR CHINESE COMMUNITY & RESOURCE CENTRE
The Chinese Community & Resource Centre is one of only three projects from Northern Ireland to receive special recognition from the Civic Trust Awards National Panel for their strong community initiative and for the positive impact on the people they serve. Designed by Hamilton Architects for the Chinese Welfare Association, the Centre has been commended by the judging panel for “the positive impact it provided to the local community”. The £1.4m centre comprises staff offices, a multi-purpose hall, training room, library, conference room, user room, creche and playground and is widely used by the local community.

NEW DAYCARE FACILITY OPENS IN LISBURN
The new Lisburn Assessment & Resource Centre has been completed and handed over to the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust. The refurbishment of the existing facility and the new build extension will provide a much needed Daycare Facility for adults over 19 years old with learning disabilities, increasing the number of available day-support places to 100. The new facility fully meets the needs of its clients, who require a range of support depending on their behaviour, general health and mental health.

DESIGN QUALITY ON THE CRESCENT ARTS CENTRE, BELFAST
The Crescent Arts Centre has been used as a case study for the Design Quality Indicator (DQI), an initiative from the Construction Industry Council. The DQI is a method of evaluating the design and construction of new buildings and the refurbishment of existing buildings. On the Crescent Arts Centre use of DQI was seen by both the client and Hamilton Architects as an opportunity to facilitate a dialogue between end-users and the design team in order to inform a wide range of stakeholders about the design. By engaging end-users through DQI the Crescent Arts Centre were able to set priorities, develop consensus and find solutions to the challenge of preserving a historic Victorian landmark for Belfast while at the same time providing modern, flexible and accessible arts spaces and facilities for diverse users.
For more information on this case study go to:
http://www.dqi.org.uk/website/buildings/casestudies/crescentartscentre/default.aspa.
PLANNING APPROVAL GRANTED FOR NEW EXECUTIVE EDUCATION CENTRE AT QUEENS UNIVERSITY
Planning approval was granted in December 2009 for this project which will rejuvenate the existing B1 listed Riddel Hall building on the Stranmillis Road, Belfast, creating the highest quality seminar and syndicate rooms for executive education. The building, previously used as a Halls of Residence, will be refurbished and extended to provide a mainstream facility of further education for Queen’s University.

DECEMBER 2009
RIDING THERAPY CENTRE TEMPLEPATRICK
Hamilton Architects have been appointed by the Elizabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys (EST) to design a Donkey Riding Therapy Centre. EST is a UK based charity dedicated to providing riding therapy with donkeys to children with special needs and disabilities. At present EST have five Centres across the UK, based in Sidmouth, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Ivybridge and the development at Templepatrick will be their sixth Centre. The Centre at Templepatrick will help children in Northern Ireland who have so far been unable to access this unique riding therapy. The Charity is currently raising funds to develop the Centre and have launched a ‘Buying a Brick’ Appeal. To buy a brick and help EST to reach their target and build and equip the new centre in N.Ireland go to: http://www.elisabethsvendsentrust.org.uk
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